National Lung Cancer Screening Program

Establishing the National Lung Cancer Screening Program

Learn more about the background work to create the National Lung Cancer Screening Program.

We acknowledge the significant work of many clinicians, experts and advocates who provided evidence and advice to establish the National Lung Cancer Screening Program.

Development timeline

In 2019, following a request from the Australian Government, Cancer Australia held an enquiry into lung cancer screening and published its findings in October 2020.

Following the enquiry, we worked with Cancer Australia to further explore the feasibility of a lung cancer screening program in Australia.

In October 2022, the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) supported Cancer Australia’s application to establish a national lung cancer screening program. The proposed program would:

  • support early diagnosis
  • increase survivors
  • create better lung cancer outcomes.

On 2 May 2023, the Minister for Health and Aged Care announced the creation of the program. Cancer Australia also published the feasibility assessment in May 2023.

MSAC’s public summary documents explain the outcomes of the decision-making process. The Government considered MSAC’s recommendations in line with the Australian Cancer Plan and the National Tobacco Strategy.

The program began in July 2025 and lung cancer screening is available to eligible Australians.

Co-design process

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are one of the priority populations of the program. We are partnering with the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) to co-design the program. This will help us achieve equity in cancer outcomes for people disproportionately impacted by lung cancer.

Learn more about the co-design process.

Design and implementation

We partnered with NACCHO and Cancer Australia to implement the program. This includes work to support ongoing research and the development of:

  • program guidelines
  • workforce education resources
  • participant information
  • data linkages.

We considered the barriers, enablers, and appropriate referral pathways for other priority populations disproportionately impacted by lung cancer, including:

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
  • people living in rural and remote areas
  • people with disability
  • people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities
  • people in the LGBTIQA+ community
  • people with mental illness.

Key pieces of work in the design and implementation phase of the program included work under these 7 workstreams:

  • Partnership – co-design the program with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, NACCHO, and ACCHOs, and address barriers and enablers for other priority populations
  • Access – mobile screening and considerations for participant travel support to ensure people in rural and remote areas can access the program
  • Clinical – program guidelines and protocols, quality framework and performance indicators, structured reports, workforce education materials and participant information
  • Legislation – amended the National Cancer Screening Register Act 2016 to include lung cancer in the National Cancer Screening Register and the National Cancer Screening Register Rules 2017
  • National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR) – updated the NCSR to include lung cancer screening, as it helps participants and healthcare providers manage the journey through the program including receiving updates and reminders
  • Medical Benefits Schedule (MBS) – created 2 new MBS item numbers for low-dose CT scanning (with mandatory bulk billing and reporting to the NCSR)
  • Communications – develop and deliver a national communication campaign to promote and encourage participation in the program.

Healthcare providers play an important role in the program. Find out how we are supporting them.

The requesting healthcare provider (for example, a general practitioner, a specialist, nurse practitioner or other qualified healthcare provider) will provide a request for eligible individuals to have a low-dose CT scan every 2 years. A radiology (medical imaging) provider will undertake the scan.

See our resources that provide information and materials to support participation in the program.

Eligibility considerations

When considering a lung cancer screening program, MSAC looked at:

  • the impact of lung cancer screening in Australia
  • the safety and effectiveness of different lung screening options
  • who would benefit the most from screening (using age and risk assessment tools).

MSAC considered Cancer Australia’s lung cancer screening enquiry report and feasibility study to support its findings.

MSAC’s evaluation found targeting people known to be at highest risk of lung cancer will ensure the program is safe and effective.

Following its review, MSAC recommended the Australian Government create a national lung cancer screening program. MSAC also provided eligibility criteria for the program.

MSAC recommended reviewing the program within the first 2 years of implementation to assess the effectiveness of the program and its delivery model. The evaluation will:

  • summarise lessons learned throughout the process
  • inform future goals to inform improvements to the program
  • consider new clinical evidence and technologies in its review.

You can read MSAC’s findings in the July 2022 public summary document.

Access for rural and remote communities – mobile screening

It can be hard to access health services, like CT scans, in rural and remote areas. To ensure that all eligible Australians can access the program, there will be specific services to support rural and remote communities. These include:

  • mobile screening trucks for people located in some rural and remote locations
  • travel support services to access fixed and mobile screening locations.

We have commissioned Heart of Australia to provide mobile lung cancer screening services to some rural and remote communities across Australia. They:

  • have more than 10 years of experience providing culturally safe medical services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in rural and remote locations
  • are committed to co-designing services that meet not just the health needs, but also consider the cultural and holistic needs of a community.

We co-designed service delivery routes to ensure areas with the greatest need can access the program. The routes were co-designed with:

  • NACCHO
  • Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs)
  • the NLCSP Advisory Group
  • states and territories, consulting with local health services.

Heart of Australia will work with communities before mobile screening days to make sure as many eligible people as possible can be screened.

Find out where and when mobile screening will be available.

Quality and monitoring

We are establishing a quality framework to outline the approach for measuring, monitoring and evaluating the program. The framework will ensure the program is high-quality, delivered safely and administered effectively. It will provide:

  • the principles and requirements that define the program’s quality objectives and standards
  • a suite of performance indicators
  • quality and safety standards and measures; and
  • processes for managing quality and safety concerns.

The performance indicators and quality standards are key elements of the framework. This work is dependent on finalising program design, including:

  • the program pathway
  • nodule management protocol
  • NCSR minimum datasets
  • legislative amendments. 

The AIHW provides monitoring and reporting services for the program. They will publish the annual monitoring reports and the program data dictionary to their website. We expect to publish the first annual monitoring report in June 2027.

We will also develop and implement a Quality Improvement Program plan to drive continuous quality improvement throughout the life of the program.

MSAC recommended reviewing the program within the first 2 years of implementation to assess the effectiveness of the program and its delivery model. The evaluation will:

  • summarise lessons learned throughout the process
  • inform future goals to inform improvements to the program
  • consider new clinical evidence and technologies in its review.

Research

Cancer Australia are leading a research project to adapt and include new evidence and technologies into the program over time. Areas of research may include:

  • applying new research to current practices in the program
  • focusing on new technologies as they become available
  • updating clinical guidance as our understanding of the program in practice evolves.

National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR) – Data Custodian

Researchers and external agencies can request National Lung Cancer Screening Program data for research and evaluation. Access to this data is at the discretion of the NCSR Data Custodian and in line with the National Cancer Screening Register Act 2016.
ncsr.data.requests@health.gov.au

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, including:

Consultation

We will continue to consult with other stakeholders, such as:

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector and peoples
  • priority populations and consumer peak bodies
  • clinical colleges and peak bodies
  • Primary Health Networks
  • Community, people with lived experience and consumer representatives
  • researchers
  • Australian Government and state and territory government health departments.

We will advertise public consultations on this website. You can contact us with questions.

Involvement of and support for healthcare providers

The program provides the opportunity to improve lung cancer services in Australia. The involvement and support of healthcare providers is vital to the success of the program. We continue to work with stakeholders supporting the workforce required to deliver the program, including:

  • state and territory governments
  • professional colleges
  • peak bodies.

Healthcare provider modelling was completed as part of the Cancer Australia feasibility study in 2022, and updated program participation modelling was done in late 2024 based on the final eligibility criteria. This modelling showed the number of participants expected to progress through the pathway and helped jurisdictional planning. 

Supporting the health workforce

The Australian Government is delivering critical funding to strengthen the health workforce. This funding will also make it easier for Australians to get the care they need, including lung cancer services.

We have worked with clinicians, consumers and other experts to develop resources to support healthcare providers and the general public. These resources are available in 21 different languages.

Promoting participation

Along with workforce and patient education and information materials, a national communications campaign will tell Australians about:

  • the program
  • how to access it
  • other relevant support resources.

We are working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other priority populations on tailored communications and community-led activities to support participation in the program.

Contact

National Lung Cancer Screening Program contact

Contact us for information about the National Lung Cancer Screening Program or our delivery partners, including National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations and Cancer Australia.
lungcancerscreening@health.gov.au
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