Alberta bringing lung screening to rural and remote communities

A pulmonary function technician. (Government of Alberta)

The Alberta Cancer Foundation and the provincial government are working to expand lung screening services to remote and rural areas.

A partnership with the not-for-profit 19 to Zero will see mobile lung health units deployed in Alberta.

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These units will include a converted medical sprinter van for pulmonary function testing (PFT), which tests how well your lungs are working, and a custom diagnostic imaging truck to perform CT scans.

These tools can help detect lung diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer.

"More Canadians die of lung cancer than prostate colon and breast cancer combined," Theresa Tang, the CEO of 19 to Zero, said.

"Many Albertans face health care access challenges, particularly in rural and remote areas, and this mobile unit will help improve equitable access across the province."

Of lung cancer patients, 70 per cent are found to have cancer in late stages that are harder to treat, added Tang.

The mobile units will be part of the public healthcare system and be able to connect remotely with Connect Care to allow radiologists and pulmonologists to instantly see test results, according to Health Minister Adriana LaGrange.

"Living outside of a big city shouldn’t mean less access to vital testing and screening services," Wendy Beauchesne, the CEO of Alberta Cancer Foundation, said.

"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 mobile screening program will receive $1.5 million each from the Alberta Government and Alberta Cancer Foundation.

The first PFTs should be offered next spring and the CT truck is expected to be operational next summer, according to LaGrange.

The mobile units are expected to be able to do more than 4,000 PFTs and 6,000 CT scans a year.

Consultation between 19 to Zero and communities is ongoing to help determine the high need areas for the mobile units.

The organization is also working with the province to allow for people to be referred to the units for testing.

This isn't the first mobile testing program in Alberta.

For more than 30 years, a mobile breast cancer screening program has been in place. That program has provided more than half a million mammograms in that time, according to Beauchesne.