Lung cancer kills more Australians than any other type of cancer, and now those most at risk of developing it can benefit from the first new national cancer screening program in 20 years.
The National Lung Cancer Screening Program, which experts say will save more than 12,000 lives in the next decade, launches today.
For people like Brisbane mother of four, Sarah Waters, 52, it will bring peace of mind.
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While she has already discussed the risks with her GP, the milestone program will formalise checks for the thousands of Aussies at risk.
“I think it’ll just take away the unknown, the ‘what if’s’,” Waters told 9News.
“I know the earlier you get it, the better the chance of coming through it.”
While Waters, who works at the University of Queensland, smoked for almost 30 years, not all people who developed the disease have smoked.
But of the 15,000 expected to be diagnosed with lung cancer this year, 85 per cent will get the dreadful news at a late stage when it’s hard to treat.
Estimates show the program will help diagnose more than 70 per cent of cases at an earlier stage, where there are improved treatment opportunities.
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Lung Foundation Australia CEO Mark Brooke said it’s a milestone plan for a disease which still faces stigma and inequality.
”If found early, it is easier to treat and potentially change a diagnosis from terminal to treatable,” Brooke said.
Mobile screening trucks will also roll out from November, making it easier for Australians in rural and remote areas to access screening.
Associate Professor Nicole Rankin, who was a part of the screening program’s expert advisory committee, said diagnosing cases early will mean some of those people who would otherwise be killed by the disease will be cured.
“We know that each year, about 9000 people die of lung cancer. Behind those statistics is a person with loved ones who needs to find out about their lung cancer earlier, when it can be cured. This program can make that a reality,” she said.
The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing in partnership with Cancer Australia, National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation is delivering the scheme.
It’s being funded thanks to $263.8 million over four years from the Albanese government.
Lung Foundation Australia is continuing to call on the government to increase investment in lung cancer nurses and research.
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Lung cancer facts
Lung cancer kills more Australians than any other cancer, ahead of breast, prostate and ovarian cancers.
In 2024 it killed 8,918 Aussies, according to Cancer Australia.
One in three women and one in 10 men diagnosed have never smoked, according to the Lung Foundation Australia.
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There is just a 26 per cent chance of surviving for five years after diagnosis.
Those eligible for free screening must be between 50 and 70 years old and have no signs or symptoms of lung cancer.
They must have a history of at least 30 pack years of smoking and are still smoking or have quit only in the past decade.
Pack-years are calculated by multiplying the number of cigarette packs smoked per day by the number of years the person has smoked.
Anyone interested should see their GP, who can refer patients for a CT scan, which is being provided by Sonic Healthcare Australia Radiology.
