Lung Screening Program Expands to Eastern Nova Scotia
A healthcare worker performs a CT scan on a patient. (Province of Nova Scotia / File)
More lives will be saved from lung cancer as the Lung Screening Program expands to Cape Breton and the eastern mainland.
The program, which targets people at very high risk of developing lung cancer, is now available in Nova Scotia Health’s Eastern Zone, which includes all of Cape Breton and Antigonish and Guysborough counties.
“Cancer screening saves lives, and expanding the lung screening program will improve outcomes for people by preventing or finding and treating lung cancer earlier,” said Addictions and Mental Health Minister Brian Comer, MLA for Cape Breton East, on behalf of Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson. “I encourage Nova Scotians who are eligible for the program to make that call sooner than later. Your life could depend on it.”
Nova Scotians aged 50 to 74 who have smoked daily for 20 years or more at any point in their lives can contact the program. Primary care providers may also refer patients to the program.
People who meet the initial program criteria are offered a clinical assessment to determine their personal risk of lung cancer and whether they would benefit from a low-dose computerized tomography (CT) chest scan. Everyone who calls the program receives information about lung health and, if applicable, supports available to stop smoking.
People can contact the Lung Screening Program by calling 1-833-505-LUNG (5864).
To date, more than 2,700 people have called or been referred to the program, which launched in the central health zone (Halifax Regional Municipality and West Hants) in January 2024. It will continue to be rolled out across the province over the next year.
Quotes:
“More Nova Scotians die of lung cancer than all other cancers combined, and there is a lot of shame associated with it. Many people believe that they bring it on themselves because they smoke, but smoking is an addiction, and we are here to help. This is why the Lung Screening Program offers tobacco cessation supports to anyone interested in quitting. However, a person does not have to stop smoking to qualify for lung screening. Our job is to help Nova Scotians prevent lung cancer when we can or find it earlier when treatment works better.”
— Dr. Daria Manos, Medical Director, Lung Screening Program
“Screening programs put the power of prevention and early detection into the hands of our people. This is especially true for lung cancer, which is often diagnosed at late stage when treatment is less effective. The Lung Screening Program is changing this by finding lung cancer before there are warning signs or symptoms and making it more treatable. By expanding the Lung Screening Program to Eastern Zone communities – where incidence of lung cancer is high – we’re making early detection more accessible for people who are at high risk for the disease.”
— Valerie Nugent, Director, Cancer Care, Eastern Zone, Nova Scotia Health
Quick Facts:
- lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Nova Scotia; each year, about 1,000 Nova Scotians are diagnosed and 700 die of the disease
- to date, more than 1,500 people have had a telephone assessment in the screening program, including:
- 403 people who asked to be referred to smoking cessation counselling
- 385 people who were determined to be at very high risk for lung cancer received free nicotine replacement therapy to help them stop smoking
- 41 patients were found to possibly have lung cancer and were referred to a lung specialist for a diagnostic assessment
- the government will invest about $3 million annually in the Lung Screening Program once fully implemented across the province
Additional Resources:
Lung Screening Program website: https://www.nshealth.ca/lungscreening