CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – The Conway Medical Center recently received a grant for $685,000 from The Duke Endowment to improve their breast cancer services on the Grand Strand.
The grant will be used for a 3D Mammography Mobile Van. Doctors said they will take it to rural communities, giving people a chance to get breast cancer screenings who lack transportation. “This will be the jumping point to allow us to reach out and provide screening for a lot more patients in our community,” said Conway Medical Center Radiologist, Dr. Scott Mencken.
Dr. Mencken helped get the grant for the hospital, and he said this will be the first of its kind on the Grand Strand. He said having 3D mammography will improve their accuracy in detecting breast cancer. “It will allow us to be more sensitive, and to discover cancers in the earlier stages that we may not have seen on a standard 2D mammogram,” said Dr. Mencken.
The 3D Mammography mobile van will be taken to places like community events, businesses and churches. “People who live out in rural regions, they may not have the option,” said Dr. Mencken. “They may not have transportation, but if we can arrange a screening with a church they may be able to get to, or even in the town hall.”
Dr. Mencken said they will try to use the van on a daily basis and at events on weekends. They’re expecting to have the mobile van in service within the next two months, and there will be an outreach number for people to request the breast cancer service when it begins.
