Question 1

What is a Lung Cancer healthcare access score?

Accepted Answer

A Lung Cancer healthcare access score measures how easy it is for residents of a US ZIP code to reach lung cancer specialists who treat lung cancer. CartoChrome computes the score from CMS NPPES provider data, CMS facility data, and Census demographics using the E2SFCA spatial-access method, then adjusts for social-determinant barriers. Every ZIP is scored 0–100.

Question 2

Which states have the best lung cancer care access?

Accepted Answer

Nebraska (76/100), Kansas (74), and South Dakota (74) rank highest for lung cancer care on CartoChrome. The national average is 49/100. Rankings reflect specialist density, facility access, and travel time — not treatment outcomes.

Question 3

What is a lung cancer healthcare desert?

Accepted Answer

A lung cancer healthcare desert is a ZIP code scoring below 25/100 on CartoChrome's Lung Cancer access score, meaning residents face severe shortages of lung cancer specialists, long drive times, and compounding socioeconomic barriers. Alaska, Arizona, and Puerto Rico contain the highest share of lung cancer deserts nationally.

Question 4

How is the Lung Cancer score calculated?

Accepted Answer

The score combines provider density within a RUCA-tier catchment radius, facility proximity weighted by a Gaussian distance decay, and a Social Determinants of Health penalty (insurance, income, transportation, disability, age). Data comes from CMS NPPES, CMS Care Compare, HRSA HPSA designations, and the Census ACS 5-year estimates. Full methodology is published at /methodology/.

Question 5

How often is lung cancer access data updated?

Accepted Answer

CartoChrome refreshes provider data weekly (NPPES delta), facility ratings monthly (CMS Care Compare), and demographics annually (Census ACS). Lung Cancer scores recompute after every data load — typically within 24 hours of a CMS release.

Lung Cancer

Other Conditions

Lung Cancer

Access to oncologists, thoracic surgeons, and lung cancer screening

Top 10 ZIP Codes for Lung Cancer

Bottom 10 ZIP Codes for Lung Cancer (Healthcare Deserts)

Explore Lung Cancer Scores

Other Conditions

Access to oncologists, thoracic surgeons, and lung cancer screening

Top 10 ZIP Codes for Lung Cancer

Bottom 10 ZIP Codes for Lung Cancer (Healthcare Deserts)

Explore Lung Cancer Scores