‘Living outside of a big city shouldn’t mean less access to vital testing and screening services,’ said Wendy Beauchesne, CEO of the Alberta Cancer Foundation
Two new mobile units will bring lung screening services to rural and remote residents when they start travelling to Alberta communities next year.
The Alberta government announced Wednesday the province is putting $1.5 million towards the mobile screening program, with a matching contribution from the Alberta Cancer Foundation.
“Living outside of a big city shouldn’t mean less access to vital testing and screening services,” said Wendy Beauchesne, CEO of the Alberta Cancer Foundation.
“Early detection is key to successful cancer treatment, and these specialized mobile clinics will bring essential diagnostics to thousands of Albertans in rural, Indigenous and underserved communities each year.”
The province and foundation are partnering with 19 to Zero, a non-profit coalition that helps put in place solutions to Canada’s most preventable cancers, including lung cancer, to bring the mobile lung screening services to rural and remote communities.
19 to Zero co-founder and CEO Theresa Tang said Wednesday most lung cancer cases are found much too late, at stages where they are harder to treat and cure.
“And beyond cancer, the burden of lung disease is especially high in rural and remote communities,” said Tang during a Wednesday news conference in Calgary. She added that in northern Alberta rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are double those of urban areas such as Calgary.
Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) will be completed in one unit — a converted medical sprinter van — while in the other, a custom-built, 12.5-metre truck will do computed technology (CT) scans. Aceso Medical is designing and operating the units.
Radiologists and pulmonologists will have instant access to test results through the use of mobile and satellite internet integrating with Connect Care, says the province.
“These tests are critical diagnostic tools for identifying and managing lung diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and of course lung cancer,” said Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange during Wednesday’s news conference.
But the tests are mainly available in urban centres, so many rural residents currently need to travel to get testing done, said LaGrange. And that can lead to delayed diagnosis and the “suboptimal management of lung conditions,” Alberta’s health minister added.
“These mobile units will help bridge the gap, increasing the likelihood of early detection and treatment, which will improve health outcomes and most importantly will actually save lives,” said LaGrange.
The PFT unit is expected to hit the road next spring and the CT truck in late summer next year. It’s anticipated more than 4,000 pulmonary function tests and up to 6,000 CT scans will be completed each year once they’re up and running.