Cancer screenings and early detection save lives.
In partnership with the American Cancer Society’s “I Love You, Get Screened” campaign, The Recorder compiled a list of places where Hoosiers can access free or low-cost cancer screenings.
“Screening saves lives, and that’s the bottom line.” said Dr. Nasser Hanna, the Tom and Julie Wood Family Foundation Professor of Lung Cancer Clinical Research for IU Health. “The key is early detection, and unfortunately, people who are eligible are unaware, they’re not being offered it, there are too few resources being put into it, so we have a lot of room to make up.”
READ MORE: Know the signs: Prostate and colorectal cancer in Black men
Please note that some listings may require individuals to meet specific eligibility or insurance requirements.
Community Health Network
Community Health Network offers free online health risk assessments for breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, heart health, stroke and other concerns. These assessments are designed to help people understand their risk and symptoms, with tips and actionable next steps, according to Bobbie Brooks, Indianapolis Region Communications Manager for Community Health Network.
For more information about the screenings available or the free health risk assessment, visit ecommunity.com/screenings.
Eskenazi Health
“Early detection is critical for establishing a treatment plan for the best possible outcome,” a spokesperson for Eskenazi Health said in a statement. “The Eskenazi Health EMBRACE team reaches out to newly diagnosed patients, helping them through the confusing array of emotions and information that come with a cancer diagnosis. EMBRACE provides encouragement and addresses many of the concerns and barriers to care confronting those with cancer.”
Eskenazi Health offers free breast and cervical cancer screenings to qualifying patients based on income and household size. Hoosiers are encouraged to reach out when they are due for a screening or if they are experiencing symptoms of any form of cancer.
To learn more about screening eligibility requirements or to schedule an appointment, visit eskenazihealth.edu/.
Franciscan Health
At Franciscan Health, the IBCAT program provides screenings for uninsured women who fall at or below the 300% poverty level and live in Marion, Morgan, Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson or Shelby counties.
Screenings are conducted at Franciscan Health Indianapolis and Franciscan Health Mooresville.
Women aged 40 and older and women under 40 with a family history of breast cancer are eligible to apply. To apply for the program in Central Indiana, call 317-528-7201.
For those who qualify, Franciscan Health also offers a low-cost ($49) lung scan to screen for lung cancer. Qualifications include individuals 50 and older who averaged smoking at least one pack of cigarettes per day for 20 years and have no signs or symptoms of lung cancer.
For more information, visit franciscanhealth.org/campaigns/screeningbundles or contact Beth Knapp of the IBACT program at beth@breastcancerplate.org.
Healthnet
As a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), HealthNet is committed to providing accessible, preventive care, including various cancer screenings, according to Kay Johnson, chief communications officer for HealthNet.
HealthNet currently offers the following tests and screenings onsite at all community health centers or through referral partnerships:
- Breast cancer screening, mammograms
- Cervical cancer screening, pap test and HPV testing
- Colorectal cancer screening, FIT/FOBT tests provided in-house, with colonoscopy referrals as needed
- Prostate cancer screening, PSA testing, when clinically indicated
- Lung cancer screening, low-dose CT referrals for eligible patients
HealthNet also refers eligible patients to the Indiana Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program for free and low-cost breast and cervical cancer screenings.
Following screening, HealthNet provides patients with education and next-step support to help them understand screening results and access follow-up care. For more information or to schedule a screening appointment, call 317-957-2070.
Indiana Breast Cancer Awareness Trust
In 2025, the Indiana Breast Cancer Awareness Trust donated more than $388,000 in grants to health providers across the state to offer free mammograms and other diagnostic tests to uninsured and under-insured Hoosiers.
This is a statewide list of breast health programs. For assistance or to contact a provider closest to you, visit breastcancerplate.org/how-we-help/services-programs.
Indiana Breast and Cervical Cancer Program
The Indiana Breast and Cervical Cancer Program is Indiana’s version of the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP). Free and low-cost services are based on eligibility and include:
- Colposcopies (with or without biopsies)
- Liquid-based cytology tests
- High-risk panel HPV testing
- Office visits
- Pelvic exams/tests
- Clinical breast exams (CBEs)
- Mammograms (screening and diagnostic)
- Diagnostic breast ultrasounds
- Breast biopsies
- Consultations
The administrative office for IN-BBP is located in Downtown Indianapolis, but there are three regional offices across the state. For more information or eligibility requirements, visit in.gov/health/cdpc/cancer/early-detection or contact Julie Gries at 317-233-7901 or Jgries@health.in.gov.
Indiana University Health — Mobile Lung Unit
Free CT scans, which screen for lung cancer, are available to eligible Hoosiers through Indiana University Health’s Mobile Lung Unit.
Those who are aged 50 or older, meet the “20 pack years” cigarette smoking requirement and are on Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance or affordable care exchanges are all eligible, according to Dr. Nasser Hanna, who is also the chief of cancer screenings at IU Health.
“Unfortunately, lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer-related death,” Hanna said. “While two-thirds of people who are eligible are getting their color screening and their cervical screening and their breast screening, only 15% are getting their lung screening.”
The Mobile Lung Unit screening program consists of a CT scan embedded on a large truck that travels throughout the state. While screenings are available within clinics and hospitals throughout Indiana, the Mobile Lung unit engages with various community leaders, local clinics and health organizations where access to this type of care is limited. Free screenings have been performed in 26 counties around Indiana this year alone, Hanna said.
To schedule an appointment with the Mobile Lung Unit or at IU Health, visit iuhealth.org/find-medical-services/lung-scan or call 317-962-5864.
Rev. Charles Williams Prostate Mobile Unit
The Rev. Charles Williams Prostate Mobile Unit partners with churches, community centers, businesses and events — such as the Indiana Black Expo — to raise awareness around prostate Cancer, including early detection, treatments and clinical trials, according to the website.
Free screenings are provided by licensed doctors at no cost to men over the age of 50, or African American men over the age of 45 or have a family history of prostate cancer.
The Rev. Charles Williams Prostate Mobile Unit is housed at the Marion County Health Department, 3838 N. Rual St., and operates from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. For more information about screenings, visit marionhealth.org. For questions, call 317-221-2086 or email wharris@marionhealth.org.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Chloe McGowan is the Arts & Culture Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Columbus, OH, Chloe has a bachelor's in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and has previously worked for Indy Maven, The Lantern, and CityScene Media Group. In her free time, Chloe enjoys live theatre, reading, baking and keeping her plants alive.
