Jane Beshear launches campaign for new cancer screening van

First Lady Jane Beshear, along with representatives from the Kentucky Cancer Program, the University of Louisville’s James Graham Brown Cancer Center and KentuckyOne Health, have launched another "Horses and Hope" campaign to raise $1 million for a mobile unit that will provide cancer screenings to under-served populations across Kentucky.

Churchill Downs has committed $90,000 and Kroger $25,000 toward the new cancer screening van, , said a news release from the governor's office.

“For years, the Horses and Hope program has been one of the driving forces behind the portable mammography unit that travels throughout the state offering breast cancer screenings and promoting the message that early detection saves lives,” Beshear said in the release. “We now have the opportunity to expand these services to screen for six additional forms of cancer, and continue our efforts to improve the health and wellness of Kentuckians throughout the commonwealth.”

Kentucky ranks first in the nation for cancer and cancer deaths, with an overall cancer incidence rate that is 14 percent greater than the national average.

The custom-built van will be fully equipped to educate Kentuckians about cancer prevention, and offer screenings for seven cancer types, including breast, cervical, colon, lung, prostate, skin and head/neck at no or little cost to the patient.

For more information and donation opportunities, visit the Horses and Hope site at www.horsesandhope.org/.