SA Government Boosts Lung Cancer Screening with $3 Million Investment
05 Nov 2025
The investment supports the National Lung Cancer Screening Program, which launched on 1 July 2025, and aims to improve access to assessments and treatment across Adelaide.
Funding will increase resourcing at all three Adelaide Local Health Networks, including extra staff, additional bronchoscopy lists, and the creation of a multidisciplinary conference to assess patients with pulmonary nodules. SA Health Minister Chris Picton encouraged eligible residents to book appointments, saying early intervention can save lives.
RACGP SA Chair Dr Siân Goodson highlighted the program’s benefits: “This screening program allows you to find out early—and for free—if your lungs have been affected by smoking. More importantly, it gives you the chance to take action for a longer, healthier life.”
The program provides free screening for high-risk adults who:
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Are aged 50–70 years
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Are asymptomatic
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Currently smoke, or have quit in the past 10 years
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Have a history of at least 30 ‘pack years’ of tobacco smoking
Dr Goodson also encouraged younger smokers who do not meet the free screening criteria to discuss evidence-based support options with their GP, including counselling and medications.
Lung cancer remains Australia’s leading cause of cancer death, and the National Lung Cancer Screening Program is projected to save 12,000 lives over the next decade.
Source: RACGP
