Screening finds cancers at earlier, more treatable stages. Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening is the most effective tool currently available for detecting lung cancer earlier in people at elevated risk of developing the disease. The evidence is robust, and the opportunity to save lives is real.
However, screening programmes remain limited in many countries, and implementation is rarely straightforward. Health systems must navigate challenges of programme design, resource constraints, equitable access and long-term sustainability. Globally, progress has been uneven.
The Network works to close this gap supporting policymakers and health system leaders to plan, implement and strengthen lung cancer screening.
Screening implementation toolkit
Designing and delivering screening programmes for lung cancer
Getting implementation right matters. The Network’s toolkit supports those involved in planning and delivering screening programmes worldwide. Built around a health system readiness framework, it recognises that while not all systems will be fully ready, that should not delay action.
The toolkit includes a planning framework, six policy briefs and a library of other implementation resources.
Learning from real-world implementation
What real-world experience tells us about making screening work
Implementing a screening programme is complex. Evidence of effectiveness is necessary but not sufficient on its own. Health systems also need to know how programmes are designed in practice, what barriers arise and how others have overcome them.
Drawing on real-world experience from countries developing and delivering screening programmes, our report offers practical lessons for those planning or expanding their own.
Interactive map of lung cancer screening
A global view of where screening stands
The Network’s interactive map brings together ongoing and completed clinical trials, implementation studies and national or regional LDCT programmes, alongside national policy context for lung cancer. Users can search, filter and compare entries by country, implementation status, study type and a range of other criteria.
Available in English, French, Polish, German and Spanish.
Closing the gap
The role of global data in advancing lung cancer screening
Despite decades of evidence that LDCT screening saves lives, uptake remains limited and uneven. Data has a critical role to play in changing this — by mapping where programmes exist, enabling comparison across settings and identifying where the gaps are greatest.
Drawing on insights from the Network’s interactive map, our report sets out how global data can support more informed decision-making, accelerate implementation and help close the gap between evidence and practice.
Lung cancer screening factsheets
Making the policy case for LDCT screening requires clear, accessible evidence
These five factsheets set out the case for targeted lung cancer screening – covering its clinical effectiveness, its potential to reduce inequalities, its role in cancer control and the economic argument for investment.
Updated in March 2026 to reflect new and emerging evidence, they are designed for use in policy engagement and advocacy.