PORTSMOUTH, Va. — It’s been just over a year since Sentara Health expanded its breast cancer screenings with a 3D mobile mammography van.
Hampton Roads residents, like Wanda Lynch, say they’re taking advantage of the convenient option.
“As a woman and with breast cancer being so prominent in the African American community, I just felt that you know, I want to make sure I’m okay," Lynch told 13News Now.
Sentara partnered with the organization Healthy Portsmouth to provide screenings on Tuesday. Lynch said the 15-minute appointments are an easy way to stay up to date with your health.
“This mobile unit is very convenient, very convenient," she said. "The best thing is to get it done, so you can try to catch it ahead of time."
Darlene North, Sentara mobile mammography unit team lead, said Portsmouth residents need these events because there isn’t a breast center in the city.
“You have to go to northern Suffolk," she explained. "That’s the closest center or through the tunnel and pay a toll to Norfolk.”
Demand is high, according to North, adding that the van is fully booked this year. She said they travel anywhere from Williamsburg to the Outer Banks six days a week.
North said women typically begin screenings at the age of 40. She urges women to stay up to date on their check-ups.
“One in eight females get breast cancer, and a lot of times, it’s a simple process if you catch it early," she said.
If you missed Tuesday's event, the 3D mammogram van will be parked at Edinburgh Family Medicine in Chesapeake on Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For more information, click here.