Australia’s new National Lung Cancer Screening Program risks falling short of its full potential unless urgent investment is made to fix critical gaps in services, including providing universal access to lung cancer specialist nurses, according to a new Curtin University study.
The paper warns that while the July 2025 launch of the national screening program marked an exciting and transformative moment for lung cancer care, screening alone will not be enough to reduce deaths without stronger clinical infrastructure and workforce support.
Lung cancer remains Australia’s leading cause of cancer death – in 2025 more than 15,000 Australians were diagnosed with lung cancer, and the number expected to rise annually for at least the next two decades.
The paper points to the 2023 Australia and New Zealand Lung Cancer Landscape Survey, which worryingly revealed only 41% of sampled Australian institutions that treat lung cancer reported having the recommended core multidisciplinary workforce for their tumour multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings, with barely a third discussing all potential lung cancer cases and half of all institutions lacking specialist lung cancer nurses.
Research shows that specialist lung cancer nurses’ involvement improves patient outcomes. Their presence throughout diagnosis and care reduces the risk of early death and unnecessary hospital admissions, increases uptake of systemic therapy and ensures timely, coordinated care. Yet, when considering the burden of lung cancer, there’s a profound imbalance of specialist lung cancer nurses in Australia compared with other common cancers.
While the National Lung Cancer Screening Program could significantly improve survival rates for lung cancer, the study identifies several systemic shortfalls that require strategic investment. Researchers say realising the program’s full potential benefits requires:
- Universal access to multidisciplinary team (MDT) care and lung cancer specialist nurses
- Nationwide timely access to personalised medicine interventions such as next-generation sequencing NGS
- A state-of-the-art lung cancer clinical quality registry for benchmarking care and system improvement
- Expansion of dedicated, embedded smoking cessation services with MBS support
- Research platforms linking biobanks with longitudinal outcomes, strengthening potentially transformative personalised medicine approaches
- More determined, sustained efforts to close the gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, led by NACCHOs.
Lead author Professor Fraser Brims, from Curtin Medical School, said with decisive, coordinated investment, Australia can transform lung cancer outcomes for generations to come.
“Without it, the true benefits of screening will remain out of reach. Now is the time to act,” Professor Brims said.
At last year’s 17th ANMF National Biennial Conference, delegates passed a resolution that the Federal ANMF seeks the federal government via the Department of Health to require major tertiary healthcare services to recruit lung cancer specialist nurses in order to improve the care for patients nationwide.
Lung Foundation Australia Chief Executive Officer Mark Brooke said urgent funding for specialist lung cancer nurses from all sides of government was needed to ensure those diagnosed were not left behind.
“As a peak public health advocacy body, we are calling for sustained, evidence-informed investment that reflects the true impact of lung cancer in Australia. With the right focus, including support for specialist nurses, prevention and occupational health, we can improve outcomes and save lives,” he said.
Read the full paper here
