The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute announced the arrival of Arkansas’ first lung cancer screening vans and the launch of a statewide effort to reduce the state’s leading cause of cancer death.
Lung cancer causes approximately 2,000 deaths each year in Arkansas, which far exceeds the national average. The state ranks fifth in the nation for lung cancer mortality and third for cigarette smoking. Smoking causes nearly 90% of all lung cancers, according to the Arkansas Department of Health, with the heaviest burden falling on rural and medically underserved communities.
Thanks to a $4 million appropriation administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration and championed by U.S. Sen. John Boozman, the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute has deployed two of three new mobile lung screening coaches, with the third to follow shortly.
Each coach is equipped with a Philips Incisive CT 5100 scanner, providing high-quality imaging at low-radiation doses. The units operate with advanced battery and solar-power systems and are designed for safe, efficient mobile use in rural communities.
Patients screened through the program will also receive tobacco cessation counseling and resources, which recent studies show can increase quit-success rates by 40% when continued for at least three months. Low-dose CT screening itself has been shown to reduce lung cancer mortality by 20%.
Eligibility determination, insurance verification, and follow-up care are coordinated by Cancer Institute employees to ensure patients receive timely diagnostic support when needed. Under Act 390, an Arkansas law that went into effect Jan. 1, Medicaid and commercial insurance plans are required to cover lung cancer screenings for eligible individuals.
Screening is recommended for: adults ages 50 to 80 years, current smokers or former smokers who have quit within the past 15 years, adults with a smoking history of at least 20 pack-years (one pack a day for 20 years, two packs a day for 10 years, etc.), and adults with a family history of lung cancer, exposure to radon or asbestos, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
Statewide maps of lung cancer incidence and mortality will guide the deployment of the vans so that the highest-need areas of the state receive priority outreach. The Cancer Institute will measure statewide impact by tracking screening participation rates, early-stage detection rates and reductions in late-state diagnoses.
When fully implemented, the Cancer Institute’s mobile cancer screening fleet will include six vans.