The Lung Cancer Policy Network is pleased to learn of the Australian Government’s recent decision to dedicate more than AUD $500 million to reducing the burden of lung cancer and driving equitable cancer outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
More than half of this funding – AUD $263.8 million – will go towards implementing a national lung cancer screening programme. The programme aims to increase the rate of early lung cancer detection, which should improve outcomes across the country. The screening programme will commence in July 2025 and target high-risk individuals.
Lung cancer disproportionately affects First Nations people in Australia. Compared with non-Indigenous Australians, these individuals are twice as likely both to be diagnosed with lung cancer and to die from it. To combat this, AUD $238.5 million of the funding has been allocated to help achieve equity in overall cancer outcomes for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Network member Professor Dorothy Keefe (CEO of Cancer Australia) responded to the announcement, saying:
This funding decision brings the Network one step closer to our aim of improving lung cancer survival worldwide. We hope Australia will lead the way in demonstrating how large-scale early detection programmes and an emphasis on working towards health equity are key to reducing the burden of lung cancer.
Recent news
News
England’s lung cancer screening programme: lessons from a national roll-out
A new article in Nature Medicine presents findings from the first five years of the NHS screening programme for lung cancer in England, and the results are striking.
News
Reflections from LuCE’s inaugural conference
Last month, the Network attended the inaugural Lung Cancer Europe conference in Vienna, which focused on the power of co‑creation in advocacy.
Blog
Lung cancer: the looming economic crisis governments can’t ignore
Lung cancer carries a heavy cost – not only for the people diagnosed, but for health systems and economies alike.