Cancer Council Applauds New National Lung Screening

Cancer Council welcomes the new available from today, working to reduce the impact of Australias leading cause of cancer death. The program screens for lung cancer in eligible Australians using low-dose computed tomography (low-dose CT) scans. The scan is free under Medicare and recommended every two years. Australians may be eligible for the lung cancer screening program if they are: aged between 50-70 years old; show no signs or symptoms of lung cancer; currently smoke or have quit smoking in the last 10 years; and have a history of tobacco cigarette smoking of at least 30 pack-years (a way of measuring smoking history, calculated by multiplying the number of cigarette packs smoked per day by the number of years the person has smoked). Anita Dessaix, Chair of Cancer Councils Public Health Committee says the program can help improve health outcomes by increasing early detection for lung cancer. We know that often, the earlier cancers are detected, the better the treatment options and survival rates. Lung cancer screening can detect up to 70% of lung cancers in the early stages, which will ultimately mean hundreds of lives saved each year. We have seen incredible success with our national screening programs across bowel, breast and cervical in diagnosing cancer earlier and improving survival rates. Were excited to see the lung cancer screening program join this suite as lung cancer continues to be the leading cause of cancer death in Australia, with 8,900 Australians sadly passing away from the disease in 2024. Most significantly, this program is designed to be equity-focused, culturally safe and person-centered. It will focus on people who are most at risk of lung cancer, including communities who experience poorer lung cancer outcomes, such as Australians living in remote areas and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It is fantastic to see recommendations by the public health sector, including Cancer Council, implemented to reduce the impact of lung cancer in Australia. With research from the Daffodil Centre estimating that between 2021 and 2040, about 196,000 people will die from lung cancer, we hope to see the program save as many of these lives as possible. As the program commences, the cancer sector must work together to support eligible Australians in getting screened. Australians who are interested in participating can, Ms Dessaix concludes.