The latest lung cancer screening tech is on the road in Ohio to increase early diagnoses across the state. Ohio State leaders recently launched The James Mobile Lung Screening Unit, which will travel throughout the state to bring state-of-the-art diagnostic services to more people, raising the chances of potentially life-saving early detection. “Lung cancer still accounts for more cancer deaths than breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer combined,” says Michael Wert, MD, the director of the lung cancer screening program at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute. Click here to learn more about lung cancer, including risks, symptoms and treatment options at The Ohio State University. Lung cancer presents treatment challenges for many reasons, including symptoms that are often misinterpreted by patients, or present late, when the cancer has already progressed to advanced stages. “I see too many patients who haven’t seen a doctor in a while and ignore symptoms,” Wert says. “They come in so sick that we’ll do a CT scan and find they have really advanced lung cancer.” To make it easier for people to undergo quality screening, the new mobile unit is equipped with the latest lung cancer diagnostic technology, and staffed by experts who conduct the tests quickly and thoroughly, providing patients across Ohio the same services they would receive at The James. “Lung cancer screening is the easiest of all screening, there’s no prep, it’s not uncomfortable and only takes a few minutes,” he said. Click here to learn more about lung cancer screening at the OSUCCC – James. The mobile unit is part of Ohio State oncologists’ effort to increase screening rates in underserved communities, a vital component of their mission to reduce cancer deaths. “The major screening centers in Ohio are in the big cities, and the highest-risk patients for lung cancer often lives hours away from the nearest screening facility,” Wert says. “We’re one of only mobile lung cancer screening units in the country, and we’re at the cutting edge of this. So, if you live in a remote area, don’t be discouraged, our mobile lung cancer screening unit will be coming to you one day.” While anti-tobacco efforts have led to significant progress, smoking remains a major risk factor for lung cancer, so smokers should take care to stay up-to-date on current screening recommendations. “The new screening guidelines for lung cancer are that people aged 50 to 80 with 20-pack-year histories should be screened,” Wert says. “This means someone who smoked a pack a day for 20 years, or two packs a day for 10 years.” Click here for the latest lung cancer screening recommendations. With lung cancer remaining the nation’s leading cause of cancer-related deaths, screening can cause anxiety for patients, leading some to avoid the procedure. Wert hopes that the new mobile unit will help encourage more people to undergo what could be life-saving testing. “Don’t let your fears or anxieties of finding an abnormality scare you away,” Wert says. “My hope is that we’ll take our mobile screening unit to towns, and hundreds of cars will be lined up waiting for us.”