The implementation of a targeted lung cancer screening program in Australia is being hampered by a lack of “vital information,” experts say in this week’s MJA.
Writing in an editorial titled Lung cancer screening in Australia: Progress or procrastination? Dr Fraser Brims, a consultant physician at the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth and colleagues say that while there is progress internationally with lung cancer screening, there is far slower headway in Australia.
Lung cancer is the fourth leading cause of death, and kills more Australians than colon cancer and breast cancer combined.
“Primary prevention remains crucial and will reduce future lung cancer deaths, but the majority of lung cancer deaths are now occurring in former smokers who remain at elevated lifetime risk of lung cancer”, they wrote.
Screening with low-dose chest computed tomography has been shown to reduce lung cancer mortality by at least 20%.