Cancer center launches mobile lung screening program for underserved areas of West Virginia
The WVU Cancer Institute is looking to provide low-dose CT lung cancer screenings for 42 West Virginia counties at no cost with a mobile imaging bus, WV News reported this week.
The organization is in the process of applying for a Certificate of Need with the West Virginia Health Care Authority, according WV News. After authorities obtain that certificate, they plan to spend around six months refurbishing an old bus for the project, which they call LUCAS.
Richard Goldberg, MD, director of the WVU Cancer Institute, told WV News LUCAS will be a response to the growing demand for cancer services in the area.
“We are facing a cancer epidemic in our state,” he said. “West Virginia saw 1,134 lung cancer deaths in 2017. This new mobile lung cancer screening program allows us to have a greater reach in rural areas and provide lung cancer screening services to the community. If we can detect these cancers early, we can make a significant impact in the number of related deaths.”
Patients who board the bus will benefit not only from screening but from a free consultation, according to the article, and a discussion about why and how to stop using tobacco. LUCAS will focus on areas where people might not have access to a Medicare-certified lung cancer screening provider, but will also accept Medicaid and private insurance.
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After graduating from Indiana University-Bloomington with a bachelor’s in journalism, Anicka joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering cardiology. Close to her heart is long-form journalism, Pilot G-2 pens, dark chocolate and her dog Harper Lee.