Feb. 24, 2010 | A new tool in the fight against breast cancer was unveiled today by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).

The MammoVan, a mobile mammography unit, will regularly travel to 26 Arkansas counties that lack FDA-approved certified mammography facilities, providing digital screening mammograms and breast care education.

Its first stop will be at the Carlisle Medical Clinic in Carlisle on Feb. 24-25, during which time it’s expected to serve about 45 preregistered patients.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony held at UAMS was attended by Arkansas first lady Ginger Beebe; Dan Rahn, M.D., UAMS chancellor; Peter Emanuel, M.D., Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute director; board members and other supporters.

“The MammoVan will fill gaps in health care services for women who otherwise may not have the ability to travel outside of their county to receive a mammogram,” said Robert Fincher, M.D., director of breast imaging and medical director of the UAMS Breast Center. “We expect to be able to serve up to 1,000 women this year by making the service easy and convenient for them, and we hope to see that number grow in the future.”

For information about the MammoVan’s schedule or to determine if you qualify for services, call (800) 259-8794.

The three-room mobile unit is outfitted with the most advanced digital mammography equipment and will be staffed by a certified mammography technologist and a technical assistant.

Patients will receive their test results within one to two weeks. Results also will be sent to each patient’s primary care physician. If the mammogram shows a potential abnormality, the patient will be referred for follow-up to the appropriate services.

The unit is handicapped accessible, with a wheelchair lift entering directly into the mammography suite. The mammography unit also is designed to accommodate women in a standing or seated position.

“Our hope is that the MammoVan will serve all women in Arkansas, regardless of their income or physical limitations. Considering that women in 26 Arkansas counties do not have access to a mammography facility, this traveling unit will be a valuable tool in educating them about breast health and promoting early detection of cancer,” said Ronda Henry-Tillman, M.D., professor of surgery in the UAMS College of Medicine and director of the UAMS Cancer Control Program.

Funding for the MammoVan is provided by the
Walmart Foundation, the National Breast Cancer Foundation, the Breast
Cancer Relief Foundation of New Orleans, the Arkansas Cancer Coalition,
the Susan G. Komen For the Cure Little Rock affiliate, the Max and
Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, Runway for a Cause, Big Red Tailgate, Win
Rockefeller Jr., Dee Dee Ricks and Joan Bass. Collaborating partners
are the Arkansas Department of Health, Community Health Centers of
Arkansas and the UAMS Witness Project.

The American Cancer Society estimates that 1,820 Arkansas women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009 and 410 women died from the disease.