Mobile cancer screening bus makes its way through Hamilton

This fall marks the 10-year anniversary of the Mobile Cancer Screening Coach.

The 45-foot-long coach bus houses a cancer screening program that provides cancer screening tests and support to quit smoking in communities with low cancer screening rates.

“Some people who live in poverty, who are homeless, people who have drug addictions or mental health issues, people who live in rural settings who don’t have the means to be able to get into a setting, or they’re part of a societal group that has historically been racialized or discriminated against in the health-care system,” said Neil Johnson, vice president of oncology for Hamilton Health Sciences.

The bus travels throughout the regions of Hamilton, Niagara, Norfolk County and Six Nations of the Grand River.

Since its launch, the program has provided 10,153 cancer screening tests, with 5,854 people receiving mammograms, 3,250 people getting Pap tests and 3,635 people receiving an at-home test that screens for signs of colorectal cancer.

A calendar indicating when the Mobile Cancer Screening Coach will be in your community can be found here.

READ MORE: Ontario lowering age for regular breast cancer screenings to 40