A new mobile unit is hitting the road to deliver lifesaving cancer screening across the region.
Committed to delivering more cancer screenings to more people, Siteman Cancer Center, based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine, is launching a new mobile resource to improve the health of individuals, families and communities — the only one of its kind for lung cancer screening in the region.
The 40-foot Siteman Lung Screening Van will travel from central Missouri to St. Louis and down to the Bootheel to help eligible individuals access lung cancer screening closer to home or work.
The van will hit the road this fall, the third unit in Siteman Cancer Center’s growing mobile fleet — all aimed at preventing cancer before it starts or diagnosing the disease at the earliest stages, when it’s most treatable. The Siteman Mammography Van has been screening for breast cancer since 1986. Last year, Siteman launched its Health on the Move Community Van, which provides education and screening resources to curb colorectal and prostate cancer, diabetes, heart disease and other chronic illnesses. Together, they form the largest such fleet in the region.
“Along with treatment and research, cancer prevention is part of who we are,” said Timothy J. Eberlein, MD, FACS, director of Siteman Cancer Center. “It’s in our DNA, integral to our mission: To prevent cancer in the community and transform cancer patient care through scientific discovery.”
The Siteman Lung Screening Van will travel across the city of St. Louis and 39 counties in Missouri — a swath that includes areas with smoking rates as high as 22.2%, more than one out of every five adults. Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, responsible for about 90% of cases, according to the American Lung Association.
After skin cancer, lung cancer is the most prevalent cancer type nationally. Because lungs lack pain receptors and early signs, such as a mild cold or fatigue, are vague, lung cancer often isn’t discovered until later stages. When discovered at the earliest stage, the five-year survival rate is 67%, according to the American Cancer Society. The group estimates about 229,000 cases will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year, with women and men being affected nearly equally.
“By bringing the experience and expertise of our care providers into the community and the greater region, we are reducing barriers to screening and connecting people with the resources they need to take control of their health,” Eberlein said.
The Lung Screening Van is outfitted with a state-of-the-art low-dose computed tomography (CT) scanner that offers quick, painless imaging to spot early-stage signs of the disease, when patients have the most effective treatment options, including clinical trials. A team of WashU Medicine physicians at Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology that specializes in radiology and oncology will read each image. The mobile unit also is equipped with a lift for people who use a wheelchair or would prefer not to climb a short set of stairs into the van.
To be screened for lung cancer, a person must be eligible and have a referral from a doctor. Eligibility is based on an individual’s age, smoking history and, if applicable, time since quitting. More specifically, a person must be 50 to 80 years old and a current smoker or a smoker who quit in the last 15 years. Another requirement is having a history of smoking 20 pack-years or more. A pack-year measures the amount a person has smoked over a long period of time. It is calculated by multiplying the number of packs of cigarettes smoked per day by the number of years the person has smoked. Twenty pack-years is equal to one pack per day for 20 years or two packs per day for 10 years.
As the region’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Siteman is focused on all aspects of the disease, including its effects on individuals and populations. The Lung Screening Van aims to improve the health of both.
“From the molecular level in the lab to individual patients we treat in the clinic to the wellness of our communities, we are committed to lessening the burden of cancer across the region,” Eberlein said.
The mobile unit will make stops in the city of St. Louis and these Missouri counties: Audrain, Bollinger, Boone, Butler, Callaway, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Cole, Crawford, Dent, Dunklin, Franklin, Gasconade, Iron, Jefferson, Lincoln, Madison, Maries, Marion, Mississippi, Montgomery, New Madrid, Osage, Pemiscot, Perry, Phelps, Pike, Ralls, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, St. Charles, St. Francois, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Stoddard, Warren, Washington and Wayne.
For information about the Lung Screening Van and eligibility criteria, visit https://siteman.washu.edu/prevention/screening/mobile-cancer-screening-program/lung-van.
Learn more about other cancer control and disease prevention initiatives at Siteman:
- Get Screened Now, which outlines cancer screening recommendations and suggests other locations that offer screening
- Your Disease Risk, a tool that assesses one’s risk of 12 types of cancer and six other diseases and provides personalized tips for reducing risk
- 8ightWays®, a portfolio of cancer prevention resources
- For Your Health, a monthly wellness series