The National Lung Cancer Screening Program aims to achieve better health outcomes for Australians by detecting lung cancer early and saving lives. Early detection can lead to more effective treatment options and improved outcomes for patients.
The program screens for lung cancer in high-risk individuals using low-dose computed tomography (low-dose CT) scans. The program targets people with no signs or symptoms suggesting they may have lung cancer and:
- are aged between 50 to 70 years old
- who smoke tobacco cigarettes or have a history of cigarette smoking (quit within the last 10 years).
On 2 May 2023, the Minister for Health and Aged Care announced that the Australian Government would set up the program.
We are getting ready for the program to launch in July 2025.
Find out more about establishing the program.
About lung cancer
Lung cancer is the fifth most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in Australia. It is a disease where abnormal cells in the lungs grow and multiply out of control.
The main symptoms of lung cancer include:
- a new or changed cough
- coughing up blood
- being short of breath for no reason
- getting very tired
- unexplained weight loss
- chest or shoulder pain that does not go away.
Learn more about lung cancer and its main symptoms.
If you think you are experiencing symptoms of lung cancer, don’t wait. See your doctor or Aboriginal health worker right away.
Symptoms of lung cancer should be investigated according to Cancer Australia’s guide for Investigating symptoms of lung cancer.
Why screening is important
Lung cancer screening saves lives.
Screening helps to detect cancer at an earlier stage. Earlier diagnosis can improve health outcomes because it is associated with higher survival rates and improved quality of life.
Early diagnosis of lung cancer will mean reducing the number of patients who need treatment for advanced stage lung cancer, when the survival rate is much lower.
By detecting lung cancer early, the program will help save hundreds of lives each year from lung cancer.
Learn more about how the screening process will work.
Benefits of early diagnosis
There are more treatment options and a better chance of a cure when cancers are found early.
Early stage lung cancer can often be treated with surgery to remove the tumour. If the cancer has spread outside the lung, which it often does in stage 3 to 4 cancer, more intensive treatment options may need to be considered. Treatment for advanced lung cancer (stage 4) may only focus on slowing the growth of the cancer and improving quality of life.
Researchers estimate that:
- the proportion of cases identified at early stage cancer (stage 1) will increase from 16% without a screening program to 60% with a screening program
- the proportion of advanced stage (stage 4) cancer will decrease from 53% without a screening program to 11% with a screening program.
Read the study about reduced lung cancer mortality from screening.
We expect that participation in the program will increase year by year as it becomes more publicly known and promoted by healthcare providers.
Learn more about lung cancer screening.
See our resources that provide healthcare providers, the general public and patients with information and materials supporting the program.
The screening pathway
The screening and assessment pathway defines the structure of the program. We based the pathway on stakeholder consultation and evidence reviewed through Cancer Australia’s lung cancer screening enquiry report and feasibility study. The Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) supports the pathway.
According to the screening and assessment pathway:
- participants with a very low risk of cancer (no current findings) will stay in the program and receive a reminder for a repeat scan in 2 years
- participants with low risk findings will stay in the program and return for a follow-up low-dose CT scan in 12 months
- participants with low to moderate risk findings will stay in the program and return for a follow-up low-dose CT scan in 6 months
- participants with moderate risk findings will stay in the program and return for a follow-up low-dose CT scan in 3 months
- those with high risk and very high risk findings will require further investigation and action – the requesting provider will refer them to a respiratory physician linked to a lung cancer multidisciplinary team (MDT).
Sometimes screening can show something that is not lung cancer, that may need follow-up testing or treatment. These participants will go back to usual care and their requesting healthcare provider will follow the relevant clinical guidelines.
Who we work with
We are working with clinicians, experts from the radiology sector, jurisdictions, peak bodies and consumer organisations to design and implement the program. Partners include:
- Cancer Australia – Cancer Australia is leading the clinical aspects of program design and implementation.
- National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) – NACCHO is leading the co-design with the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACCHO) sector to ensure that the program meets the place-based needs of communities.
- University of Melbourne – The university developed the program guidelines and shared decision-making materials to help healthcare providers guide their patients as they navigate the program screening and assessment pathway.
- Heart of Australia – Heart of Australia will deliver mobile lung cancer screening services to people living in some rural and remote communities.
- Lung Foundation Australia (LFA) – LFA is leading work to ensure that priority populations are supported to access the program.
- Daffodil Centre – The Daffodil Centre consortium developed a suite of information materials for healthcare providers and participants to promote the delivery and availability of the program.
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) – The AIHW is supporting the development of performance indicators and quality and safety measures for the program, and will provide monitoring and reporting services once the program starts.
- Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) – RANZCR is developing the structured radiology reporting template for the program, along with a suite of information materials and education and training resources to support the radiology sector.
- Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) – RANZCR and TSANZ developed the National Lung Cancer Screening Program Nodule Management Protocol.
- Cancer Council Victoria (CCV) – A consortium led by CCV, also including
- the Daffodil Centre
- Royal Flying Doctors Service
- ACON
- Australian Multicultural Health Collaborative will deliver a national communications campaign to increase awareness of the program and promote participation.
- NACCHO will work with the consortium to make sure the campaign resonates with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander audiences and supports their participation in the program.
Role of the National Cancer Screening Register
The National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR) will provide program information and reminders to participants. It will not hold any scan images. Relevant healthcare providers may access participant information and remind them if they need to take action in relation to lung cancer screening.
Read more about using the NCSR under the program.
Legislation
The National Cancer Screening Register Amendment Act 2024 expanded the NCSR's purpose to also support the program when it launches in July 2025.
Following the amendment of the National Cancer Screening Register Act 2016, the National Cancer Screening Rules 2017 will also be amended. It will include a mandatory reporting requirement for radiologists to report lung cancer screening information to the NCSR.
Governance and engagement
To help design and implement the program, we established 2 advisory committees to support the roll out of the program in July 2025:
- The NLCSP Advisory Group includes representatives from every jurisdiction and focuses on how the program will be delivered within their health systems.
- The NLCSP Expert Advisory Committee is a multidisciplinary advisory group that provides expert advice on how to promote best practice lung cancer screening.
A key focus of the program and its advisory committees is to consider and advise on how it will achieve equitable outcomes. This includes outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other priority populations who are disproportionately impacted by lung cancer.
Working with PHNs
Primary Health Networks (PHNs) play an important role in implementing the program and supporting primary care providers to encourage program participation.
We have been promoting the program through a broad range of communication channels and networks, such as webinars and newsletters, to enhance PHNs knowledge about the program. Working together with PHNs, we will soon start distributing the program’s information and education materials. This will ensure the health workforce is ready to deliver the program.
We are also promoting the program to various audiences at conferences and events, including events for:
- respiratory specialists
- clinicians
- medical researchers
- healthcare professionals
- peak bodies
- colleges.
Program monitoring and evaluation
We are developing the program quality framework as well as program monitoring and evaluation systems.
See Establishing the program for more details.
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