OSU mobile mammogram unit returns to Vinton County Tuesday

For Vinton County women who delay screening because the nearest mammogram means a long drive, a missed work shift or a hard-to-get appointment, the Ohio State University Mobile Mammogram Unit is coming back to McArthur.

The unit will be set up at the Vinton County Health Department, 31927 State Route 93 in McArthur, on Tuesday, May 19. Appointments are required, and the health department is telling residents to call ahead rather than walk in. The scheduling number listed is 1-800-240-4477.

The visit is part of a standing local service, not a one-time stop. The health department says it offers mobile mammogram services from Ohio State four times each year, giving county residents a recurring chance to stay current on breast screening without leaving home. OSUCCC - James says its mobile mammography unit performs routine annual mammograms for patients in central Ohio and some outlying counties, and each exam takes about 15 minutes from start to finish.

The health department’s breast-cancer education page also says women age 16 and older who live in Vinton County can receive breast-health education, instruction on self-exams, healthy-habits guidance and one-on-one counseling on breast issues. That local outreach pairs with the mobile unit’s screening role, giving women a place to start before a routine exam becomes overdue.

The timing matters in a county where cancer has hit harder than many places. Ohio Department of Health county data show Vinton County averaged 88 new invasive cancer cases a year from 2018 to 2022, and its cancer mortality rate during that period was 215.6 deaths per 100,000, above Ohio’s 161.1 and the national rate of 146.0. Female breast cancer ranked among the county’s top five cancer sites.

The American Cancer Society recommends that women ages 40 to 44 have the choice to start annual breast cancer screening, women 45 to 54 be screened yearly, and women 55 and older continue every two years or yearly. In a rural county, bringing the mammogram unit to McArthur can remove a familiar barrier to care, and that can mean finding cancer sooner instead of waiting for a trip out of county.