Moffitt unveils new mobile lung cancer screening unit

TAMPA - Moffitt Cancer Center unveiled its new mobile lung cancer screening unit Friday, with a goal to save thousands of lives in Florida.

The unit is equipped with a state-of-the-art, low-radiation CT scanner. Eligible patients must be at least 50-years-old, a current or former smoker with a long history of smoking, and currently have no obvious signs of lung cancer.

"We have to get the word out, and we have to be able to reach people and improve access," said Dr. Jhanelle Gray, who oversees the new mobile unit as Chair of Moffitt's Thoracic Oncology Department. 

"One of the things we excel at Moffitt is delivering top-notch care, but we're also true to our mission and vision which is contributing to the prevention and cure of cancer. And one of the ways to do this is to find cancer, detect it early and improve the outcomes for patients, increase their chances of cure and so this mobile unit allows us to do that," Gray added.

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Moffitt CEO Dr. Patrick Hwu said only three percent of people who should be screened are actually getting screened. The unit is expected to increase that number and save about 4,000 lives a year in Florida.

Hwu believes the unit will help a lot of at-risk patients in rural areas.

"A lot of people can't come in. They can't drive in. They don't have the resources to do that. We're going to take the scan to them," he said.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. More people die every year from the disease than from prostate, breast and colon cancers combined. 

The unit is scheduled to make the following stops:

• November 9, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., at 1404 Sydney Road in Plant City for migrant and farmworkers
• November 12-14, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., at the Pasco County Health Department, located at 7509 State Road 52 in Hudson
• December 4, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., at the New Tampa YMCA, located at 16221 Compton Drive in Tampa

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