Cancer screenings are literally pulling up to the curb in the Twin Cities, as Allina Health Cancer Institute rolls out two new mobile units designed to catch cancer earlier and cut out a lot of the hassle that keeps people from getting checked.
The health system has paired “Mammo on the Move,” a mammography truck, with a low-dose CT unit dubbed LIFE, short for Lung Imaging For Early Detection. Together, the rigs are making the rounds in Twin Cities neighborhoods so people can get quick scans where they already live, work and shop.
What the trucks offer
According to Allina Health, Mammo on the Move brings the same 2-D and 3-D mammography technology used in its breast centers into a private, appointment-only truck that travels to clinics and community sites. The health system says the mobile mammography truck will make regular stops at locations that previously did not have on-site mammography and could support roughly 3,000 additional breast screenings each year.
Allina also launched LIFE, a mobile low-dose CT program that offers quick, approximately five-minute lung scans. Each scan is read by board-certified radiologists and shared with patients’ care teams for follow-up. The health system notes that donors and federal grants helped pay for the launch of both mobile programs.
Who qualifies and why it matters
Early detection is key for both breast and lung cancers, and the stakes are especially high for lung cancer, which is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends annual low-dose CT screening for people ages 50 to 80 who have at least a 20 pack-year smoking history and who either still smoke or quit within the past 15 years. Mobile programs are meant to chip away at practical barriers such as transportation, time away from work and limited clinic access that can keep eligible people from following through on those recommended screenings.
Where to find a truck and how to book
Allina lists scheduled stops for the units in suburban and urban clinic parking lots around the Twin Cities. For mammography, that includes locations such as Brooklyn Park, Eagan, Maple Grove, and Shoreview, with a similar lineup of stops for LIFE lung screenings.
Appointments are open now. For mammograms, patients can call 612-775-2345 or check the Mammo on the Move schedule on Allina’s website. For lung scans, they can call 612-775-LUNG (5864) or visit the LIFE program page. Local TV coverage first spotlighted the rollout; see Fox 9 Minneapolis–St. Paul for the original report.
Program leaders say the mobile units are part of a larger effort to shift preventive care beyond hospital walls and into communities where screening rates have historically lagged. Officials encourage people who meet screening criteria to talk with their provider about whether booking a slot at one of the mobile stops is the right move for them, as schedules continue to expand.
