“If delivering this mobile unit helps more people get screened and find their cancer early, that’s a good thing,” says Frank Steed, who stands with Ash Tewari, MBBS, MCh, FRCS (Hon.), DSc (Hon.), Chair of the Milton and Carroll Petrie Department of Urology, beside Mount Sinai’s newest Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening Unit.
Frank Steed, a 69-year-old truck driver from Arizona, recently delivered a state-of-the-art mobile prostate screening unit to Mount Sinai Health System. For him, it was more than just another job, it was personal.
Each week, he crisscrosses the country making deliveries. But this run was special for Mr. Steed because he, too, has been affected by prostate cancer.
Mr. Steed was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2022. He had been scheduled to deliver Mount Sinai’s first Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening Unit. But he was unable to complete the run because he was still recovering from his cancer treatment.
Back then, he experienced some discomfort and loss of sensation. He spoke with his doctor and took a PSA test. He was diagnosed with stage IV prostate cancer. He received radiation therapy treatment from his health care team in Arizona.
He was not a patient of Mount Sinai. But he became part of the Department of Urology’s expanding initiative to raise awareness of prostate cancer and expand testing and care of high-risk men in the community when he delivered the second New York-based mobile unit to Ash Tewari, MBBS, MCh, FRCS (Hon.), DSc (Hon.), Chair of the Milton and Carroll Petrie Department of Urology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
“We are so grateful to Frank for driving and delivering this unit across the country and for Thomas Milana and the Milana Family Foundation for providing a portion of the funding for this new mobile prostate cancer screening unit,” says Dr. Tewari, who launched the initiative in 2022. “Together, we will screen and educate thousands more men and their families annually, and that’s the most effective way to beat prostate cancer: early detection.”
Mr. Steed says he’s just thankful to be here.
“If delivering this mobile unit helps more people get screened and find their cancer early, that’s a good thing,” he says.
He is back on the road, and he still monitors his PSA levels. When he delivered the new unit in October, he also took a few minutes to sit down for a free PSA screening (blood test) in the first unit, which was parked near The Mount Sinai Hospital.
“I got my results back and my PSA numbers are really good.”
Prostate Cancer by the Numbers
About one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. The American Cancer Society estimates about 333,830 new cases of prostate cancer in the United States in 2026.
“Our vision has always been to bring screening into the community and meet people where they are rather than expecting every patient to come to us. — Ash Tewari, MBBS, MCh, FRCS (Hon.), DSc (Hon.)
Prostate cancer is the most diagnosed cancer among men in the United States after skin cancer. Black men face a significantly higher risk of developing and dying from the disease than men of other racial and ethnic groups.
Early detection can improve treatment options and outcomes, making access to screening an important component of prostate cancer care.
“When prostate cancer is found early, we have the greatest opportunity to successfully treat it while preserving quality of life,” says Dr. Tewari.
Since its launch in 2022, Mount Sinai’s mobile prostate cancer screening program has screened more than 15,000 men in the New York City area (and an additional 3,000 in collaboration with the Atlanta-based unit at Emory University), with approximately one in five men requiring follow-up evaluation.
The newest Mount Sinai Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening Unit is made possible through the support of The Milana Family Foundation’s Man Cave Health and will bring community-based prostate cancer screening, education, and follow-up care to men across Long Island. Both units will continue to serve the wider New York City area.
“Our vision has always been to bring screening into the community and meet people where they are rather than expecting every patient to come to us. Expanding this program to Long Island is an important next step in making prostate cancer screening more accessible, particularly for areas where barriers to care persist,” Dr. Tewari says.
The expansion to Long Island reflects Mount Sinai’s continued commitment to bringing preventive care beyond traditional clinical settings and into the communities it serves.
Through partnerships with local organizations and health care providers, the mobile screening program aims to increase awareness of prostate health, encourage informed screening decisions, and improve access to timely specialty care. Dr. Tewari wants to reach and screen 1 million men for prostate cancer.