Our mobile unit is a state-of-the-art imaging facility, equipped with advanced CT scanning and compassionate staff trained in navigation services. Our mission is to foster streamlined, accessible and equitable care along the lung cancer continuum. Through community outreach, the program aims to:
- Build partnerships with neighborhoods across New York City with a focus on areas experiencing cancer disparities.
- Coordinate baseline and annual lung screening appointments in convenient locations. We bring care to you.
- Provide tobacco treatment counseling for individuals interested in quitting smoking.
- Support and navigate patients through any recommended follow-up diagnostic appointments and treatment.
DIRECTOR'S WELCOME
In New York State, only 6.2% of individuals eligible for lung cancer screening undergo Low-dose CT screening, a potentially lifesaving exam. Our vision is to empower our society to be fearless in our fight against lung cancer.
Bradley B. Pua, M.D., FSIR
Director of Lung Cancer Screening Program
Chief of Interventional Radiology
Eligibility
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recommend annual screening for lung cancer with low-dose CT for individuals who meet all of the following criteria:
- Ages 50 to 80 years (50 to 77 for Medicare and Medicaid)
- Current or former smokers who have quit within the last 15 years
- History of heavy smoking, equivalent to at least 20 pack-years. A pack-year equals the number of packs smoked per day times the number of years the patient smoked. For example, 1 pack per day for 20 years equals 20 pack-years
- No signs or symptoms of lung cancer
Coverage
As a preventative health service, consultations and low-dose CT screening for eligible patients are typically completely covered by commercial insurance, Medicare and Medicaid. Please call us to discuss specific coverage questions.
What to expect
Schedule a telehealth consultation with a Nurse Practitioner (NP) by calling 646-962-5864 (LUNG). Our patient coordinators and clinical team will support patients in navigating their initial visit, annual screening and any follow-up care as needed.
Complete phone or video shared decision-making visit with NP to discuss eligibility, risks and benefits, and what to expect. If appropriate, an NP will order a CT Lung Screen exam and schedule the imaging appointment. Our insurance team will work on coverage verification and pre-authorization as needed.
Low-dose CT Lung Screening is performed onboard our state-of-the-art mobile CT unit, in a location convenient to patients, such as near their local clinic or during a neighborhood health fair or street festival. The test takes less than 5 minutes and is completely painless. No fasting or IV contrast is required. The scan can detect lung cancer in the early stages, when it is most treatable and often curable.
The NP will follow up with patients about results, typically within 24-48 hours of the scan, and facilitate any recommended follow-up or referrals.
For patients interested in quitting smoking, we offer tobacco treatment counseling via phone or video visit.
Scheduling
For more information or to schedule, please call 646-962-5864.
Self scheduling coming soon.
Calendar
Our mobile unit will be launching Summer 2025. Calendar coming soon. If you are interested in the mobile unit coming to your clinic or an upcoming event, please complete this form Mobile CT Unit Request Form or email Brooke O’Neill at cbc7003@med.cornell.edu.
Our Team
Brooke C O'Neill
Nurse Administrator
Nailah O'Neal
Senior Patient Coordinator
Xiomara Negrete
Senior Patient Coordinator
Publications
1. Pua BB, O'Neill BC, Ortiz AK, Wu A, D'Angelo D, Cahill M, Groner LK. Results from
Lung Cancer Screening Outreach Utilizing a Mobile CT Scanner in an Urban Area. J
Am Coll Radiol. 2023 Nov 19. pii: S1546-1440(23)00936-5. doi:
10.1016/j.jacr.2023.10.025. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed [citation] PMID:
37984766
2. Jiang LG, Cahill M, Chansakul A, Steel PAD, Sullivan D, Pua BB. A Collaborative
Emergency Medicine and Radiology Pulmonary Nodule Program: Identification of
Associated Efficacy and Outcomes. J Am Coll Radiol. 2023 Aug;20(8):796-803. doi:
10.1016/j.jacr.2023.04.020. Epub 2023 Jul 7. PubMed [citation] PMID: 37422161
3. Groner LK, Lee M, Gil HDJ, Min RJ, Babagbemi K. Hiding in plain sight: How
incorporating honest discussion of racial and social (in)justice into medical
education can inspire change. Clin Imaging. 2022 Sep;89:37-42. doi:
10.1016/j.clinimag.2022.04.018. Epub 2022 May 7. PubMed [citation] PMID: 35696946
4. Escalon JG, Sullivan D, Pua BB, Girvin F, Verzosa Weisman S, Steinberger S, Toy
D, Groner L, Legasto AC, Gruden JF. Management of Incidental Pulmonary Nodules:
Influencing Patient Care Through Subspecialized Imaging Review. Curr Probl Diagn
Radiol. 2022 Jul-Aug;51(4):524-528. doi: 10.1067/j.cpradiol.2021.11.004. Epub
2021 Dec 2. PubMed [citation] PMID: 34974882
5. Escalon JG, Crawford CB, Tang E, Cahill M, Toy D, Sullivan D, Pua BB.
Communication of CT Lung Screening Results: Referring Providers' and Patients'
Preferences. J Am Coll Radiol. 2021 Oct;18(10):1447-1450. doi:
10.1016/j.jacr.2021.06.014. Epub 2021 Jul 9. No abstract available. PubMed
[citation] PMID: 34252372
6. Isakov KMM, Legasto AC, Hossain R, Verzosa Weisman S, Toy D, Groner LK, Feibusch
A, Escalon JG. A Case-Based Review of Vaping-Induced Injury-Pulmonary Toxicity
and Beyond. Curr Probl Diagn Radiol. 2021 May-Jun;50(3):401-409. doi:
10.1067/j.cpradiol.2020.06.003. Epub 2020 Jun 26. Review. PubMed [citation] PMID:
32703539
7. Kamel MK, Lee B, Harrison S, Port JL, Pua B, Altorki NK, Stiles BM. Do the
surgical results in the National Lung Screening Trial reflect modern thoracic
surgical practice? J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2019 May;157(5):2038-2046.e1. doi:
10.1016/j.jtcvs.2018.11.139. Epub 2018 Dec 15. PubMed [citation] PMID: 31288364
8. Green DB, Pua BB, Crawford CB, Abbey GN, Drexler IR, Legasto AC, Gruden JF.
Screening for Lung Cancer: Communicating With Patients. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2018
Mar;210(3):497-502. doi: 10.2214/AJR.17.18836. Epub 2017 Nov 22. Review. PubMed
[citation] PMID: 29166146
9. Stiles BM, Pua B, Altorki NK. Screening for Lung Cancer. Surg Oncol Clin N Am.
2016 Jul;25(3):469-79. doi: 10.1016/j.soc.2016.02.002. Review. PubMed [citation]
PMID: 27261909
10. Pua BB, Dou E, O'Connor K, Crawford CB. Integrating smoking cessation into lung
cancer screening programs. Clin Imaging. 2016 Mar-Apr;40(2):302-6. doi:
10.1016/j.clinimag.2015.05.004. Epub 2015 May 16. Review. PubMed [citation] PMID:
26088006