From 1 July, Australians with a high risk of developing lung cancer can be screened for the disease free of charge through Medicare.
 
This is Australia’s first new national cancer screening program in nearly 20 years.
 
The Albanese Government’s National Lung Cancer Screening Program (NLCSP) offers low-dose computed tomography (CT) scans to people aged 50-70 who smoke or have a history of smoking and who don’t have the symptoms or signs of lung cancer.
 
By the time patients present with symptoms, lung cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage. If it is found early, treatment options are greater and are more likely to be effective.
 
Lung cancer is the fifth most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in Australia.
 
It is estimated there were more than 15,000 new cases and nearly 9,000 deaths from lung cancer in Australia in 2024.
 
The government has invested more than $260 million in the program, which is expected to save hundreds of lives a year.
 
For rural and remote communities that don’t have access to radiology clinics, from November mobile lung cancer screening trucks using world-first technology will take mobile CT services directly to eligible patients nationally.
 
People can speak to their healthcare professional to see if they are eligible for a free scan.
 
Full details about the program and eligibility are available online: How the National Lung Cancer Screening Program will work | Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.

As at 26 June 2025.