Roswell Park Unveils New EDDY Unit to Expand Access to Lung Cancer Screening and Early Detection

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has unveiled a new and more compact mobile lung cancer screening unit, expanding the reach of its Early Detection Driven to You (EDDY) mobile cancer screening program and increasing access to lifesaving cancer screenings throughout Western New York. 

The new EDDY Mobile Lung Cancer Screening Center, which replaces a vehicle in service since 2022, was engineered for flexibility, allowing it to travel more easily on city streets and operate in community center parking lots, neighborhood gathering spaces and other locations where larger vehicles may be difficult to accommodate. Supported by Roswell Park team members specially trained in Diagnostic Imaging, Cancer Screening and Survivorship, and Community Outreach and Engagement, the EDDY Mobile Cancer Screening Program brings high-quality screening services directly into communities across Western New York.

Together with the EDDY Mobile Breast & Prostate Cancer Screening Center debuted last year, this innovative Roswell Park screening program is the first initiative to bring early detection services for the three most common invasive cancers directly into urban and rural communities where screening access may be limited.

“Our new EDDY Mobile Lung Cancer Screening Center was designed very intentionally to increase the reach of our incredible outreach and early detection services,” said Candace Johnson, PhD, President, CEO and M&T Bank Presidential Chair in Leadership at Roswell Park. “The streamlined design allows us to bring lung cancer screenings to even more neighborhoods, community centers and types of locations making it easier for more people to access potentially lifesaving care.”

“Screening gives us the opportunity to find lung cancer before symptoms develop, when treatment is often most effective and outcomes can be significantly improved,” says Mary Reid, PhD, Chief of Cancer Screening, Survivorship and Mentorship. “This beautiful new mobile screening center will help us reach more individuals in more communities and connect them with potentially lifesaving early detection services. Every screening represents an opportunity to find cancer earlier, intervene sooner and ultimately save lives.”

Roswell Park held a ribbon-cutting Monday as it unveiled the new mobile unit at the Belle Center on Buffalo’s West Side — one of the community centers that has frequently hosted the EDDY Lung and EDDY Breast and Prostate mobile screening centers to make this service available to those it serves.

“It is such an honor to work with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. It’s not only the number one cancer research center in the nation, in my opinion, it’s also number one in community service,” says Lucy Candelario, Executive Director of the Belle Center. 

Since launching in 2022, the EDDY Mobile Lung Cancer Screening Center has completed more than 3,400 early detection encounters, reaching patients from 173 ZIP codes. The unit has visited 72 unique locations across 7 counties, including Erie, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Allegany, Niagara, Orleans and Broome. Operating 4 days per week in the community, it has partnerships with the Cattaraugus, Tonawanda and Tuscarora tribal territories. It also conducts screenings with 6 fire departments to address occupational exposure risks. 

More than two dozen screening participants were diagnosed with lung cancer through EDDY screenings, the majority of which were detected at early, more treatable stages.

Speaking in Spanish at the event Monday, Evelyn Centeno, a survivor of a previous experience with cancer who has used EDDY mobile cancer screening services three times, said: “Para mí significó mucho que EDDY llegara cerca de mi hogar, a lugares que conocemos en la comunidad. Cuando estos servicios llegan directamente a la comunidad, hacen la vida más fácil para muchas personas. No todo el mundo tiene transportación, puede viajar lejos o puede tomar tanto tiempo fuera del trabajo o de la familia. Por eso, tener a EDDY ahí mismo, cerca de nosotros, ayuda muchísimo.” (Translation: “It meant so much to me that EDDY came close to my home, to places we know in the community. When these services come directly into the community, they make life easier for many people. Not everyone has transportation, can travel far, or can take extra time away from work or family. That is why having EDDY right there, close to us, helps so much.”)

“Roswell Park’s expansion of the EDDY program will continue to save lives by bringing screening to more neighborhoods and underserved communities, removing barriers to care and allowing Western New Yorkers to take control of their health,” says Congressman Tim Kennedy. “I am grateful for the work and advocacy of everyone at Roswell Park. Their commitment to bringing lifesaving cancer screenings directly into our communities is making a real difference across our region.”

“Too many families in our community have felt the impact of cancer, which is why programs like EDDY are so incredibly important,” says New York State Assemblymember Jon D. Rivera. “By bringing lung cancer screenings directly into neighborhoods, community centers, and underserved areas, Roswell Park is breaking down barriers to care and helping people get screened before it’s too late. This new mobile unit reflects Roswell Park’s longstanding commitment to innovation and community outreach. I thank Dr. Candace Johnson and the entire Roswell Park team for ensuring that Western New Yorkers have access to the early detection services they need to live healthier lives.”

Also on hand for the launch event were representatives from USA Mobile Medical, which manufactured the custom 53-foot mobile unit for Roswell Park, and Philips, manufacturer of the specialized low-dose CT (computed tomography) imaging equipment housed in the new mobile screening center — a CT 5300 system equipped with AI-enabled imaging, advanced workflow technologies and AI-based image reconstruction innovation designed to support high quality, low-dose CT imaging.

Facts about lung cancer and lung cancer screening:

• Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women, causing more deaths than colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer and breast cancer combined.
• Only 24% of these tumors are diagnosed at early stages, when treatment options and expected survival are much more favorable.
• Black Americans have a higher risk of developing lung cancer and are 18% less likely than their white counterparts to be diagnosed early.
• Based on compelling evidence from large national studies, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends annual low-dose computed tomography (CT) lung scans for people ages 50-80 who have smoked for at least 20 years.
• Earlier this year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a national coverage determination (NCD) that expanded coverage for lung cancer screening to improve health outcomes for people with lung cancer.
• More than 36% of New York State residents living in counties with the highest rates of lung cancer deaths must drive at least an hour to get a low-dose CT scan.
• Eligibility: You should be screened for lung cancer if you are within the ages of 50 and 79 and have 20 pack/years of smoking history and have smoked within the past 15 years, even if you no longer smoke. You may also be eligible based on personal history of cancer of the lung, esophagus, head or neck, or other factors, including: asbestos-related lung disease or pulmonary asbestosis; history of emphysema; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); family history of lung cancer (your parent, sibling or child).
• Roswell Park has offered lung cancer screening since 1998 for people who are at high risk of developing the disease.

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From the world’s first chemotherapy research to the PSA prostate cancer biomarker, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center generates innovations that shape how cancer is detected, treated and prevented worldwide. The Roswell Park team of 4,000+ makes compassionate, patient-centered cancer care and services accessible across New York State and beyond. Rated “Exceptional” by the National Cancer Institute, Roswell Park, founded in 1898, was one of the first NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the country and remains the only one in Upstate New York. To learn more about Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Roswell Park Care Network, visit www.roswellpark.org, call 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) or email ASKRoswell@RoswellPark.org.