Frank Steed, a 69-year-old truck driver from Arizona, delivered Mount Sinai Health System’s newest Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening Unit after his own 2022 stage IV prostate cancer diagnosis delayed his initial delivery run, highlighting expanding community outreach efforts led by Dr. Ash Tewari.
In Plain English: The Clinical Takeaway
- Screening Access: Mobile units bring prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood tests directly into communities, bypassing traditional hospital barriers for high-risk populations.
- Early Detection: Finding prostate cancer early significantly broadens viable treatment options and preserves long-term quality of life.
- Monitoring: Patients treated for advanced disease require ongoing PSA level surveillance to track health status over time.
From a Delayed Delivery Run to National Prostate Cancer Awareness
Frank Steed knows the interstate highways of America better than most. Each week, he crisscrosses the country making deliveries. But his journey with Mount Sinai Health System carries a deeply personal weight. In 2022, Mr. Steed was scheduled to deliver the health system’s first Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening Unit. He was unable to complete the run because he was still recovering from his cancer treatment. After experiencing physical discomfort and loss of sensation, he consulted his doctor and underwent a prostate-specific antigen blood test. The results revealed stage IV prostate cancer.
Instead of completing the transit, Mr. Steed received radiation therapy treatment from his health care team in Arizona. Though he was not a patient at Mount Sinai, his path crossed with the institution again. When the health system prepared to launch its second New York-based mobile unit, Mr. Steed stepped up to the wheel. Ash Tewari, MBBS, MCh, FRCS (Hon.), DSc (Hon.), who serves as Chair of the Milton and Carroll Petrie Department of Urology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, received the mobile vehicle from him upon its delivery.
| Screening Metric | Program Statistic |
|---|---|
| Total Men Screened (NYC Area) | Over 15,000 |
| Collaborative Screening (Atlanta/Emory) | 3,000 |
| Estimated 2026 US Cases (ACS) | 333,830 |
Expanding Mobile Screening Networks Across New York Communities
Dr. Tewari launched the mobile screening initiative in 2022 with a clear objective: meet patients where they are rather than expecting every patient to come to the hospital. Since its inception, the program has screened more than 15,000 men in the New York City area, alongside an additional 3,000 in collaboration with the Atlanta-based unit at Emory University. Clinical data from the initiative indicates that approximately one in five men requires follow-up evaluation.
The newest vehicle in the fleet extends this preventative infrastructure directly into Long Island. Made possible through the support of The Milana Family Foundation’s Man Cave Health, the unit aims to target geographic and socioeconomic barriers that typically depress screening rates among vulnerable populations. Because Black men experience a substantially elevated probability of contracting and dying from the condition compared to individuals from alternative racial and demographic backgrounds, community-centered access points function as an essential public health measure.
Clinical Realities of PSA Testing and Early Stage Management
Prostate cancer is the most diagnosed cancer among men in the United States after skin cancer. According to American Cancer Society projections, approximately 333,830 fresh diagnoses of the disease are expected nationwide throughout 2026. The primary biological marker utilized in these mobile units—the prostate-specific antigen—is a protein. Elevated blood concentrations can signal malignancy, prompting the physical and diagnostic follow-ups seen in approximately one in five mobile unit participants.
For Mr. Steed, returning to the driver’s seat also meant utilizing the services he transported. When delivering the new unit in October, he stepped into the first unit, which was parked near The Mount Sinai Hospital, for a free PSA screening. His test confirmed that his PSA numbers are really good. “I got my results back and my PSA numbers are really good,” Mr. Steed said, reflecting on his return to the road and ongoing PSA monitoring.
References
- American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2026. Atlanta: American Cancer Society.
- Mount Sinai Health System. Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening Program Impact Data and Announcements. health.mountsinai.org.
