What is the National Lung cancer Screening program?
The National Lung Cancer Screening Program commenced in July 2025. It uses low dose CT scanning and looks for nodules in high-risk people with the aim of finding lung cancer early and saving lives.
Who is eligible?
To be eligible, you will need to fulfill all the below criteria:
- Aged between 50-70 years age
- Currently smoking cigarettes with a 30 pack/year history
- Used to smoke cigarettes with a 30 pack/year history and stopped in the last 10 years
- Have no symptoms of lung cancer
- Be suitable to have a low dose CT scan
What is ‘pack/year history’ and how do you calculate it?
This is a tool that health care professionals use to calculate the intensity of cigarette smoking over a lifetime. It calculates the amount by multiplying the number of pack of cigarettes smoked per day by the number of years smoking.
We understand that smoking habits (cigarettes per day and periods of stopping) may fluctuate over the years, so a rough estimation of an average pack number per day and how many years will be adequate if this is the case with your history.
Follow this link to work out your pack/year history:
https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/10187/pack-years-calculator
What if I’m not eligible but still concerned about lung cancer?
The program is aimed at the highest risk individuals. There may be a time when you do become eligible and can then join the program. Your GP or other healthcare professional will be able to guide you with this.
It is important to have an open discussion with you GP or specialist regarding your eligibility. If you have concerns because of a symptom, please seek medical advice promptly.
What happens if I’m referred to MQRS after a positive screen?
Our clinical nurse consultant will call you to review your referral, images and history, which will then be discussed with the respiratory specialists and interventional pulmonologists.
A plan will be made to see you rapidly in clinic and conduct further investigations depending on your scan findings.
The main concern when there is a positive scan, is that you may have a lung cancer. However, this will not be confirmed until it is further investigated and only a small percentage of positive screens are proven to be a cancer.
The specialist will organise extra tests to get a diagnosis via needle biopsy and investigate if there are any other areas of concern in your body via imaging.
Biopsy
Biopsies can be performed by a needle through the chest wall or via a bronchoscopy (thin tube down the airways whilst you are sedated). The biopsy will provide a diagnosis of the condition and extra information on the ‘make up’ of the lesion such as any genetic mutations that may have caused the cancer.
For more information go to:
https://lungfoundation.com.au/patients-carers/conditions/lung-cancer/diagnosis/
Imaging
Further imaging that may be performed could be a PET scan (highlights areas of metabolic activity in the body), bone scan (if there is suspicion of there being lesions in the bones) and brain MRI (this is the most accurate way to see what is happening in the brain). These tests are essential information to have to get more information on the nodule or when lung cancer is highly suspected or confirmed. Other imaging may also be ordered depending on your symptoms.
Further information on imaging can be found:
https://www.mqhealth.org.au/services/find-a-service/macquarie-medical-imaging/services
Multidisciplinary Care
Your case and care will be overseen by our multidisciplinary care team (MDT). This is a group of healthcare professionals from various health specialities who meet regularly to discuss individual patient cases and make an agreed treatment plan.
At MQ Health, our MDT is comprised of:
- Respiratory physicians, including interventional pulmonologists who can use advanced techniques for diagnosing lung cancer and managing respiratory symptoms
- Cardiothoracic surgeons who may perform surgery to remove the cancer
- Medical and Radiation oncologists who may provide specialised therapies to treat the cancer
- Specialised nurses including a Lung Cancer Clinical Nurse Consultant, who helps to provide information and support
- Pathologists who help by analysing the biopsy sample to get a diagnosis
- Radiologists who help by conducting and reporting imaging to identify where the cancer is and if there are any other sites of concern
- Physiotherapists who can help with any physical effects of the cancer including breathlessness, mobility and strengthening
- Clinical librarians who may assist by reviewing evidence of a particular treatment or therapy offered to ensure receipt of best practice
Where can I read more?
For further information on the National Lung Cancer Screening Program visit this site:
https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/nlcsp
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Our growing team of seasoned respiratory physicians and support staff provide expertise covering a wide range of pulmonary pathologies in state of the art investigational facilities operating out of Macquarie University Clinic and Hospital.