Mobile Cancer Units Heading To Rural WVa. Counties

Two mobile cancer screening units will be traveling to rural counties in West Virginia to offer early detection for breast and lung cancer. 

Bonnie’s Bus will offer 3D mammograms for patients in Mingo and Logan counties, and LUCAS, a state-of-the-art mobile lung cancer screening unit, will travel to Mercer, Clay, Nicholas and Jefferson counties at the end of September and early October. 

Both services are designed for at-risk patients who may struggle to access early screenings that are key to successful treatment, said Jenny Ostien, director of the WVU Mobile Cancer Screening Program. 

“We go to areas that have the least access to a standing facility or traditional hospital or screening center. That way, these patients don’t have to worry about the travel as much. We also have funding, through grants and donations, to cover West Virginia patients who may be uninsured,

 Bonnie’s Bus will be at:  

• Williamson Farmers Market from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 30. For an appointment, call 304-235-5607.
• Southern West Virginia Health System of Gilbert from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 1. For an appointment, call 304-583-8585. 
• Southern West Virginia Health System of Man from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 2. For an appointment, call 304-583-8585.

LUCAS will be at:

• Bluestone Health Center in Princeton from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 30. For an appointment, call 304-431-5499.
• Clay County Health Department from noon to 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 1. For an appointment, call 304-587-4269.
• Community Care of Clay from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 2. For an appointment, call 304-317-7317.
• Camden Family Health at Gauley River Elementary in Craigsville from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 3. For an appointment, call 304-226-5725 ext. 1044.
• Asbury UMC Church of Shepherdstown from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 4. For an appointment, call 304-264-1287 ext. 31279.

Both screenings are billed to private insurance, Medicaid or Medicare.Patients who are uninsured or underinsured will get assistance in applying for a grant program to cover the cost of the procedure. 

Lung cancer affects more people in West Virginia than breast, colorectal, cervical cancer combined,” Ostein said. “West Virginia also has one of the highest, if not highest, rates of smoking in the country, and smoking is the main contributor to lung cancer.”

She added that early detection is key to successful treatment for both breast and lung cancer.