The new James mobile lung cancer screening unit is on the road, traveling around the state of Ohio. This is a big step forward because “lung cancer still accounts for more cancer deaths than breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer combined,” said Michael Wert, MD, a James pulmonologist and director of the James lung cancer screening program. “I still see too many patients who haven’t seen a doctor in a while, ignore symptoms and come in so sick that we’ll do a CT scan and find they have really advanced lung cancer.” In this episode, Wert talks about the goals for the screening unit and why it is so vital. Smoking is the primary cause of lung cancer. “The new screening guidelines for lung cancer are that people aged 50 to 80 with a 20-pack-year history should be screened,” Wert said. “This means someone who has smoked a pack a day for 20 years, or two packs a day for 10 years.” Even people who have quit smoking years ago, but had a 20-pack-year history, need to be screened. “Too many people think what I don’t know can’t hurt me, but this isn’t true, but this fear may prevent people from getting screened,” Wert said. Reaching out to underserved communities is vital in reducing cancer deaths. “Right, now, the major screening centers in Ohio are in the big cities,” Wert said. “And the highest risk patients for lung cancer often lives hours away from the nearest screening facility … We’re one of only five or six 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 and don’t let your fears or anxieties of finding an abnormality scare you away. My hope is we’ll take our mobile screening unit to a town and hundreds of cars will be lined up waiting for us.”