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Lung cancer screening: Practical tips for GPs

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Australia’s National Lung Cancer Screening Program (NLCSP) has seen more than 90,000 patients complete a low-dose CT scan in its first 10 months. Early learnings offer a valuable opportunity to strengthen delivery and maximise benefit for patients.
 
Know who’s eligible
GPs are uniquely positioned to identify eligible patients and open the door to earlier lung cancer detection for patients most at risk.
 
To be eligible for a free low-dose CT scan, patients must be aged 50–70 years, be asymptomatic for lung cancer, have a tobacco cigarette smoking history of at least 30 pack-years, and either be currently smoking or have quit within the past 10 years.
 
The complete eligibility criteria is available on the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing website.
 
Using the right forms
The NLCSP eligibility and enrolment form confirms eligibility and registers patients in the National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR). Enabling the NCSR to act as a vital safety net to support you and your patient, sending invitations, reminders and follow-up prompts to reduce the risk of missed screening or delayed care.
 
The NLCSP Low-dose CT request form is the program-specific imaging request. Using this ensures scans are bulk billed correctly, radiologists apply NLCSP structured reporting based on the patient’s history, and the NCSR can provide follow-up.
 
If a generic radiology request form is used, it needs to clearly identify the NLCSP and include family history of lung cancer, details of any previous chest CT (if known) and any cancer history to support correct processing.
 
All NLCSP clinical forms are available via integrated Clinical Information Software (CIS), Best Practice, Medical Director, MMex and Communicare, or through the NCSR Healthcare Provider Portal. Depending on your CIS, the low-dose CT request form may not sit with standard imaging request forms.
 
For further support, contact the NCSR support line on 1800 627 701.
 
GPs’ ongoing role
After a patient’s baseline scan, subsequent screening invitations are coordinated by the NCSR. In addition to NCSR reminders, GPs should ensure reminders are enabled in the participant record in practice software.
 
For follow-up LDCT scans, GPs need to issue new LDCT request forms. The GP’s continued role focuses on:

• communicating results and next steps to patients after each screening round, as per the radiology report.
• completing the Specialist Referral Form for patients with Category 5 or 6 findings, enabling the NCSR to support patients requiring urgent specialist follow-up.
• completing the Participant Management Form with details of the patients follow up visit after results, supporting the NCSR to manage their screening journey.

Both forms are available via CIS or the NCSR Healthcare Provider Portal.
 
The NLCSP Program Guidelines outline these GP activities in full and are a useful reference.
 
Actionable additional findings
Where a patient has actionable additional findings unrelated to lung cancer, follow the management recommendations on the radiology report. In most cases, patients can continue scheduled screening while those findings are investigated in parallel, supporting continuity of care and ongoing benefit from early detection.
 
For more information, review the NLCSP Additional Findings Guidelines.
 
Education and support
The Healthcare Provider Toolkit consolidates key GP resources including CPD eLearning.
 
The Lung Cancer Screening Helpline is free, nurse-led, and available via 1800 654 301 (option 2) or lungscreening@lungfoundation.com.au, Monday to Friday, 8:00am–4:30pm (AEST).
 
The RACGP Red Book has been updated, and a 30-minute Best Practice Bite is available on gpLearning - access via the myCPD browse page.
 
Local HealthPathways may help you explore region specific information for NLCSP delivery.
For further enquiries, contact cancerscreeningcommunications@health.gov.au.
 
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cancer lung cancer National Lung Cancer Screening Program

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