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Lung Cancer Screening Program uptake revealed
Almost 26,000 low-dose CT scans have been completed since 1 July, but a new campaign will focus on reaching vulnerable patients.
Lung cancer takes more lives than any other cancer in Australia.
The new National Lung Cancer Screening Program has proven popular with patients, with more than 25,900 low-dose CT scans having been completed since its launch on 1 July.
An average of 257 Australians are now getting a scan each day, with the program aimed at detecting lung cancer at earlier stages.
In a bid to bolster these participation rates, a new ‘It’s Good to Know’ national campaign launched on Monday, encouraging eligible Australians to take part in the screening.
The $13 million campaign includes a focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the LGBTQIA+ community, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and people living in rural and remote areas.
Dr Dawn Casey, Deputy Chief Executive of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, said ‘early detection is critical’, with lung cancer the most common cancer among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
‘That is why this program matters,’ she said.
‘Our people must have care that is effective and culturally safe, delivered in ways that respect community and Country,’ she said.
‘By working together to make screening accessible and culturally inclusive, we can support our people to take control of their health and give families more precious time with their loved ones.’
Australian Multicultural Health Collaborative Executive Director, Priyanka Rai, said that while early detection saves lives, ‘it can only happen when people know about and trust the programs available to them’.
‘For multicultural communities, language and cultural barriers often make access to health information more difficult,’ she said.
‘That’s why campaigns like this, developed in partnership with communities and provided in multiple languages, are so important.’
The National Lung Cancer Screening Program provides free screening to high-risk patients, including those:
- aged 50–70 years
- who are asymptomatic, with no signs or symptoms suggesting lung cancer
- who currently smoke, or who have quit smoking in the past 10 years
- with a history of tobacco cigarette smoking of at least 30 ‘pack years’.
Cancer Council Victoria Chief Executive Todd Harper describes the screening program as a ‘turning point’.
‘Lung cancer takes more lives than any other cancer in Australia,’ he said.
‘Every year, around 15,000 people hear this devastating diagnosis – often diagnosed at a late stage when treatment options are limited.
‘The National Lung Cancer Screening Program gives us … the chance to find lung cancer before symptoms appear, to save lives, and to give people more healthy years with the people they love.’
The new campaign will run on television, social media, radio, billboards, and across digital channels.
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