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In an exciting collaboration, Huntsman Cancer Institute at the (the U) and (NVHC) joined forces to bring critical breast cancer screening services to women in rural communities. Huntsman Cancer Institute鈥檚 Mobile Cancer Screening and Education Clinic and met at the Utah/Nevada border in Wendover. Women ages 40 and older were welcomed for walk-in mammograms to prioritize early detection and prevention.
This initiative underscores Huntsman Cancer Institute's commitment to address healthcare disparities by improving access to cancer education, prevention, care, and, in this case, mammograms.
Huntsman Cancer Institute and NVHC recognize that cancer has no borders鈥攗nlike the town of Wendover, which straddles the divide between Nevada and Utah. The event, 鈥淎 Pink State of Mind鈥擟ancer Has No Borders鈥 offered potentially lifesaving screenings to residents of both states. In total, the two mobile clinics saw 28 women that day; six of these women were from Utah and had no access to care close to home.
鈥淗untsman Cancer Institute is privileged to be able to come out and serve patients in areas where they might not otherwise have any access.鈥
Lynette Phillips
Manager of Community Cancer Screening at Huntsman Cancer Institute
Kerrie Preston, the practice manager for NVHC鈥檚 , says, 鈥淚 wanted people to know that we're here for them. Early detection is the key, and sometimes travel is really hard for a lot of our patients that live here. If we can bring that service to them, then they're going to get screened.鈥 Having both clinics on-site ensured that patients with varying insurance and residency statuses could be accommodated.
For longtime Wendover resident Helen Petersen, the closest mammogram services were at least an hour and a half away. 鈥淭he fact that they鈥檙e willing to come out here and make it accessible for us is really important,鈥 she says. After her first mammogram at the event, Petersen praised the care she received. 鈥淭he people were really nice and helpful. They walked me through the process and put me at ease.鈥
Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for women in the state of Utah, yet the state has one of the lowest screening rates nationwide, according to the American Cancer Society. To address this issue, Huntsman Cancer Institute launched its Mobile Cancer Screening and Education Clinic in 2019. This state-of-the-art mobile outreach bus brings clinical and educational expertise and the latest screening technology to residents across Utah, including those in distant and rural communities.
鈥淏ringing cancer screening to the community is a huge focus of Huntsman Cancer Institute,鈥 Phillips says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great way for us to educate people about their health and the importance of cancer screening, prevention, and early detection.鈥 Through collaborative efforts like the Wendover event, Huntsman Cancer Institute and NVHC are making crucial screening services more accessible by working together across state lines to reduce distance as a cancer disparity.
Huntsman Cancer Institute is the National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center for Utah, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming and is supported by the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute including P30 CA042014 and Huntsman Cancer Foundation.
Media Contact
Heather Simonsen
Public Affairs Senior Manager
Huntsman Cancer Institute
801 581-3194
public.affairs@hci.utah.edu
About Huntsman Cancer Institute at the 香蕉视频 of Utah
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the is the National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center for Utah, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming. With a legacy of innovative cancer research, groundbreaking discoveries, and world-class patient care, we are transforming the way cancer is understood, prevented, diagnosed, treated, and survived. Huntsman Cancer Institute focuses on delivering the most advanced cancer healing and prevention through scientific breakthroughs and cutting-edge technology to advance cancer treatments of the future beyond the standard of care today. We have more than 300 open clinical trials and 250 research teams studying cancer. More genes for inherited cancers have been discovered at Huntsman Cancer Institute than at any other cancer center. Our scientists are world-renowned for understanding how cancer begins and using that knowledge to develop innovative approaches to treat each patient鈥檚 unique disease. Huntsman Cancer Institute was founded by Jon M. and Karen Huntsman.