Oral Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2022

Putting co-designed lung cancer screening into practice (#57)

Kwun Fong 1
  1. The Prince Charles Hospital / Univ of QLD Thoracic Research Centre, Chermside, QLD, Australia

Lung cancer is often diagnosed at a late stage when treatment options are limited, and has a very low 20% 5-year survival rate. Screening and early detection is anticipated to lead to earlier diagnosis, ultimately providing greater treatment options for patients and a higher likelihood of survival.    The Cancer Australia report on lung cancer screening suggests a national program can save over 12,000 lives in the first 10 years, while reducing the financial burden to the health system in the long term.   Furthermore a national screening program will bring lung cancer prevention in line with other leading cancers; bowel, cervical, and breast cancers all have a significantly higher 5-year survival rate at 70%, 74%, and 92% respectively.  Inequities and health disparities already exist for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people affected by lung cancer,  any screening program must address these key issues and avoid amplifying disparities. Co-design with Indigenous peoples and communities, ensuring Indigenous peoples have a say, is critical to implementing high-quality screening.  This presentation describes local research efforts to co-designing lung cancer screening for Australia.