The new National Lung Cancer Screening Program (NLCSP) will maximise early detection of lung cancer. In May 2023, the Government announced they would establish the NLCSP. They are now getting ready for the program to launch, with screening services available from July 2025.
Lung Screening involves 4 steps
- Your healthcare provider, such as a GP or Aboriginal health worker will check if you are eligible by asking your age and smoking history.
- Your healthcare provider will give you a referral to a radiology provider for a free low dose computed tomography (CT) scan.
- For the scan, you will lie down while the equipment takes images of your chest. It doesn’t involve any injections or procedures and takes 10 to 15 minutes.
- You and your healthcare provider will receive the scan results. You may need to see them to discuss the next steps and if any follow up tests are needed. If your scan has no findings, you will be notified by the National Cancer Screening Register. You will receive a reminder in 2 years’ time to screen again.
Visit health direct to find a bulk-billing service.
Eligible Australians will be able to have a free lung scan (low dose CT) every two years.
To be eligible for screening, individuals must be aged between 50 and 70 years of age, have a history of cigarette smoking of at least 30 pack-years, and, if former smokers, have quit within the past 10 years.
Learn more about pack years here. If you are unsure how to calculate your pack years, a healthcare provider can help you.
Lung cancer has a poor survival rate compared to most other cancers, and this has improved little over time. A lung cancer diagnosis usually happens when the cancer has spread beyond the lungs. In general, the later the diagnosis, the lower the chance of survival. The NLCSP aims to detect lung cancer earlier, when treatment is more likely to be effective.
Find more information about lung cancer.
Common questions about lung cancer screening
You will need to see a healthcare professional to get a referral for a low dose CT scan. Healthcare providers who don’t bulk bill may charge a standard fee for the consultation.
Check what fees your GP charges when you book your appointment. You can also visit health direct to find a bulk-billing service.
The low-dose CT scan is bulk-billed, so you won’t have any out-of-pocket costs for this scan under the NLCSP.
After you complete the scan, a radiologist will review the images, and your results will be entered into the NCSR and sent to your healthcare provider. Based on your results, you may receive information from the NCSR outlining the next steps.
While there are many causes of lung cancer, tobacco use is the main risk factor for lung cancer. In Australia, 90% of lung cancer in men and 65% of lung cancer in women, is estimated to be a result from smoking.
If you or someone you know is interested in quitting smoking, there are a range of services already available to help people quit.