MUSC’s health van provides vaccines to protect against cancer

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Cancer providers and survivors gathered Friday morning on MUSC’s campus to stress the importance of screenings for early detection of the disease.

MUSC Hollings Cancer Center’s new community health van is administering the HPV vaccine that can protect against six types of cancer that HPV can cause.

The center’s mobile health unit also offers breast, skin and cervical cancer screenings.

Together, the community health van and the mobile health unit are working to protect people across the state from cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society, 42% of new cancers in the U.S. are potentially avoidable.

Leaders with Hollings say cancer prevention starts at home.

“Some of the things that we all need to do is get at least 20 minutes of exercise a day, we need to watch our diet and try to avoid becoming overweight, because that’s an increased risk for colon and other cancers,” Hollings Cancer Center Director Rey Dubois said. “Basic health tips that people recommend for cardiovascular disease also apply to cancer.”

The new van has already started traveling across the state of South Carolina, and Dubois says they have hopes of getting another van soon to reach more patients.

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