Lung cancer is a major health burden in Australia. It is the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer and causes more cancer-related deaths than any other cancer in the country. Health Minister Mark Butler praised the vital importance of early detection. He announced a new national screening program that would provide testing for high risk patients. The national initiative aims to drive down the rate of Australians dying from lung cancer.
Lung cancer continues to be diagnosed at too advanced a stage, resulting in undesired outcomes for an unacceptably high number of patients. The new initiative targets 50 to 70-year-olds. More narrowly, it aims at individuals with a heavy history of cigarette smoking—30 or more pack-years—yet no evidence of lung cancer. This initiative is free to eligible patients, designed to detect the disease at an earlier—more treatable—stage, increasing survival rates.
Georgia DOT Commissioner Mark Butler underscored the value of this program at a TSPLOST launch press conference last month. He noted, “Lung cancer is very, very hard to treat — and making survivability much lower than some of the other cancers where we’re seeing survivability increase quite dramatically.” The program hopes to partly solve this problem by offering early screening to those who are most at risk.
Dorothy Keefe, the CEO of Cancer Australia, recalled her personal reflections on caring for patients with end-stage lung cancer. She explained that previously, patients would come in with severe symptoms already set in. Many of them were already experiencing serious symptoms like breathing trouble or hemoptysis, rendering effective intervention impossible or too late. “We used to see a large number of people in their middle age to late middle age coming in with problems breathing or coughing up blood or losing weight, and they would have a diagnosis of lung cancer,” Keefe stated.
The new screening program focuses on closing the gaps to the health disparities that members of the same racial and ethnic demographic face. Indigenous Australians continue to experience increasing rates of lung cancer diagnosis and mortality as well as being burdened with related harm in some migrant communities. Butler knew the obstacles she faced. He further added that the program had been co-designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to ensure it would be most effective to their needs. He particularly highlighted that this specific initiative has been co-designed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, especially those who have been historically underserved.
Anita Dessaix, a powerful health advocate, spelled it out loud and clear. She pointed out that those who live in rural and remote communities experience disproportionately poor outcomes related to lung cancer. Some groups in the community are suffering much harsher impacts at the moment. This is particularly true for those living in Australia’s rural and regional areas, she added.
This new lung cancer screening program is an important win for Australians in the fight against lung cancer. By prioritizing early detection and directing efforts towards those most at risk, health officials aim to make substantial reductions in mortality rates.
