Innovative Oncology Care Strategies Addressing Social Determinants of Health: Lingling Du, MD

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Social determinants of health and their impact on equitable access to quality care took center stage at the Institute for Value-Based Medicine (IVBM) meeting in New Orleans on November 4.

In an interview with The American Journal of Managed Care^®, Lingling Du, MD, a gastrointestinal oncologist at Ochsner MD Anderson and panelist at the IVBM, proposed solutions addressing SDOH to alleviate barriers for underserved populations. First, she suggested lowering the recommended age to begin screenings, as previous research has shown adults developing cancer at a younger age.¹ For example, the rate of adults between the ages of 20 and 39 diagnosed with colorectal cancer has steadily increased by 2% annually. Current screening guidelines for colorectal cancer, she explained, were lowered from the age of 50 to 45 in the last decade; yet, she believes it should be lowered to the age of 35.²

Changing the CDC guidelines for colorectal screenings can be extensive, but Du said community pillars and organizations can encourage younger patients to get screened earlier. During the panel discussion titled "Addressing Health Equity and SDOH in Clinical Trials," Du exemplified the role of the church advocating for and spreading awareness on equitable health care in the community.

“I do think that the church plays a very important role in terms of educating people; like, when the church is advertising doing the right thing [and saying], ‘Listen to your doctor’ or ‘Your doctor recommends you should do that,’ [it would lead people to] really trust their doctors,” Du said.

She also emphasized the influence social media platforms have on patients' health care decisions. Often, these platforms are consistently oversaturated with false information and narratives regarding health care, Du said during the panel discussion. She believes it dissuades patients from actually visiting their primary care physician, if they have one, and promotes harmful medical advice, to which many patients heed without concern.

Nevertheless, social media, when used properly, can make accurate educational resources and advice more accessible and encourage patients to consult their primary care physician.

“We have TikTok, we have Instagram, and we have Facebook,” Du said during the panel discussion. “Maybe we should be advocating on those social media platforms [and working with] a very influential influencer [and saying], ‘Hey, we all need to be seeing a primary care doctor.’”

In addition to social media, other technological advancements like artificial intelligence (AI) also play a significant role when addressing where patients are getting their health information from. Du emphasized how AI is already being used to address gaps in clinical trial recruitment to make newer treatments more accessible to unknowing patients.

“I definitely feel that AI should play a very important role when [helping doctors] communicate with patients and connecting the patients with clinical trials,” she said.

References

1. Staff C. Colorectal cancer rates are skyrocketing in young adults—is your lifestyle putting you at risk? Cancer Research Institute. September 23, 2025. Accessed November 12, 2025. https://www.cancerresearch.org/blog/colorectal-cancer-awareness-month?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21534803250&gbraid=0AAAAAD6BainEwnYeXGf_SfYTeIj99sM4b&gclid=CjwKCAiA_dDIBhB6EiwAvzc1cI_gSgp45-fO0AeiTkQkvOkTTN_KvkmuUknuJ3jSWM_Hfj8YM-sR4xoCM9cQAvD_BwE

2. Screening for colorectal cancer. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. February 26, 2025. Accessed November 12, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/colorectal-cancer/screening/index.html