NSW screening finds early lung cancers before symptoms appear
NSW's free lung cancer screening found more than 60 early-stage cancers in its first year of operation.
Over 30,000 people aged 50 to 70 had free CT scans in the program's first year. The scans caught more than 60 early-stage cancers before symptoms appeared.
Early detection makes a real difference: stage 1 lung cancer has a 68 per cent five-year survival rate, versus 17 per cent for stage 3 and 3 per cent for stage 4. Most Australian lung cancers are found only after they have spread, when treatment options are limited.
The program targets current smokers and those who quit in the past 10 years, since smoking accounts for about 90 per cent of lung cancers in men and 65 per cent in women.
- Over 30,000
- Scans performed
- More than 60
- Early cancers found
- 68 per cent five-year
- Stage 1 survival rate
- 3 per cent five-year
- Stage 4 survival rate
Why it mattersFinding lung cancer early gives patients the best chance of survival. Most cases are caught too late, when the disease is harder to treat. This screening program aims to catch cancer when treatment works best.
AustraliaAustralians aged 50 to 70 who smoke or have recently quit can now access free screening scans to catch lung cancer before symptoms develop.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 29 d ago
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