National trial for lung cancer screening to extend to non-smokers

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Australia's lung cancer screening program for heavy smokers kicks off this month. It aims to reduce deaths from the disease, which is the nation's worst cancer killer, taking around nine thousand lives a year. The national trial aims to see if more people would benefit from screening including non-smokers.

Transcript

00:00Art has been a constant comfort for Nicole Ives in tough times.

00:08Her husband Michael died in 2021 from esophageal cancer.

00:13Months later she went into hospital with appendicitis

00:16and a scan led to a chance finding.

00:19They'd found a lump in my lung.

00:22It was early stage lung cancer, a shock for the healthy non-smoker.

00:26Had you had any symptoms?

00:29No.

00:29No symptoms whatsoever.

00:31Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer

00:34but other contributors include air pollution and occupational hazards.

00:39Lung cancer is the biggest cause of cancer deaths in Australia and around the world.

00:44After many years in the making,

00:46Australia's targeted lung cancer screening program has started.

00:50We're very fortunate in one of the few countries

00:52where this national program will be rolled out.

00:54But not everyone is eligible for the bulk-billed scans.

00:58The program is open to heavy current or former smokers aged between 50 and 70.

01:04But one in three women who develop lung cancer have never smoked.

01:09For men, the figure is one in ten.

01:11So doctors have started a large trial to see if there's evidence more people should qualify for screening.

01:18Researchers aim to recruit 3,000 participants, including never or light smokers who will have a low-dose CT scan.

01:26We're trying to advance the knowledge by finding out who else will benefit.

01:29It's hoped 1,000 Indigenous Australians will take part as they're at higher risk.

01:34Twice as likely to develop and die from lung cancer.

01:38Firefighters are another vulnerable group because of their exposure to toxins.

01:42My suggestion and my hope would be that all firefighters,

01:46whether you be full-time, part-time or volunteer, would be able to access free screening.

01:51The lung screen trial will take up to three years to complete.

01:55So we have to make sure that the benefits outweigh the harms and it's affordable

01:59and can be feasible and practical in our health care system.

02:03Nicole Ives is now cancer-free, grateful for the lucky discovery of her tumour.

02:09Nicole Ives absolutely saved my life.

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