Health professionals

Optimal care pathway for people with lung cancer

The Optimal Care Pathways outline consistent, safe, high-quality and evidence-based care for people with cancer. Relevant to every step along the cancer continuum, the Optimal Care Pathways aim to improve patient outcomes for people affected by cancer, and ensure that Australians diagnosed with cancer receive the best care irrespective of where they live or receive cancer treatment.

Key principles for optimal cancer care are set out for each step of the patient journey from prevention through to survivorship and end of life care, and optimal timeframes within which tests or procedures should be completed.

National endorsement

The Optimal Care Pathways are endorsed by Cancer Australia, all states and territories and Cancer Council Australia.

For health professionals and health services

The Optimal Care Pathways are available in their full version or as a Quick Reference Guide (summary version):

• Optimal care pathway for people with lung cancer
• Optimal care pathway for people with lung cancer: Quick Reference Guide

National Lung Cancer Screening Program

The National Lung Cancer Screening Program is a screening program using low-dose computed tomography (CT) scans to look for lung cancer in high-risk people without any symptoms. It aims to find lung cancer early and reduce deaths from lung cancer.

 People are eligible for the program if they are aged between 50 and 70 years and:

• show no signs or symptoms suggesting lung cancer (that is, they are asymptomatic)
• currently smoke or have quit smoking in the past 10 years
• have a history of tobacco cigarette smoking of at least 30 pack-years.

Development of a National Lung Cancer Screening Program

In August 2019, the Minister for Health Greg Hunt invited Cancer Australia to conduct the Lung Cancer Screening enquiry. The enquiry looked at the feasibility, design, cost-effectiveness and implementation of a national lung cancer screening program.

Cancer Australia delivered the Report on the Lung Cancer Screening enquiry to the Minister for Health and Aged Care in October 2020.

In October 2022, the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) supported Cancer Australia’s application to establish a National Lung Cancer Screening Program (the Program).

On 2 May 2023, the Australian Government announced that it would set up the Program. Cancer Australia also published the feasibility assessment in May 2023.

The Program launched on 1 July 2025.

For more information about the Program, visit Cancer Australia’s Lung Cancer Screening page. You can also visit the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’s National Lung Cancer Screening Program website, which includes dedicated resources for healthcare providers.

For people affected by cancer 

Consumer versions of the Optimal Care Pathways are available to help patients and their families and carers to understand the optimal cancer care that should be provided from diagnosis, through to treatment and beyond. They are available in multiple languages.

The Guides to Best Cancer Care include optimal timeframes within which tests or procedures should be completed; prompt lists to support patients to understand what might happen at each step of their cancer experience and to consider what questions to ask; and provide information to help patients and carers communicate with health professionals.

• Lung cancer: Your guide to best cancer care

Optimal care pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer

The Optimal care pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer has been developed with the aim of reducing disparities and improving outcomes and experiences for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer. The Optimal Care Pathway provides guidance to health practitioners and service planners on optimal care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer, across the cancer continuum. It complements the best practice information provided in the cancer-specific pathways.

The Optimal care pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer is available in a full version and Quick Reference Guide (summary version).

For health professionals and health services

• Optimal care pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer (PDF 3.09 MB)
• Optimal care pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer: Quick Reference Guide (PDF 160.91 KB)

Resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and families affected by cancer 

• Our Mob and Cancer
• Checking for cancer – what to expect (PDF 4.07 MB)
• Cancer – what to expect (PDF 4.92 MB) 

Clinical practice guidelines for lung cancer

• Cancer Council Australia Lung Cancer Guidelines Working Party, Clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of lung cancer
• National Comprehensive Cancer Network (US), Clinical practice guidelines in oncology: non-small cell lung cancer
• National Comprehensive Cancer Network (US), Clinical practice guidelines in oncology: small cell lung cancer
• European Society for Medical Oncology, Clinical practice guidelines: lung and chest tumours

Cancer Australia lung cancer guides and resources

• Investigating symptoms of lung cancer: a guide for all health professionals
• Risk factors for lung cancer: an overview of the evidence
• Best practice approaches to the management of lung cancer in Australia
• A systematic review of the impact of stigma and nihilism on lung cancer

Lung Cancer Framework: principles for best-practice lung cancer care in Australia

Cancer Australia’s Lung Cancer Framework is a national resource for health professionals and service providers who are involved in the care and treatment of people affected by lung cancer across Australia.

It aims to improve the outcomes and experiences of people affected by lung cancer in Australia by providing evidence-based, best-practice information, strategies, tools and resources to support local adoption of the principles for best-practice management of lung cancer in Australia.

• Lung Cancer Framework: principles for best-practice lung cancer care in Australia
• Lung Cancer Framework: at a glance

Lung Cancer Framework resources

Cancer Australia has released 2 resources to support the adoption of the Lung Cancer Framework’s principles for best-practice lung cancer care in Australia: a resource for consumers and a resource for health professionals.

Both resources aim to improve the outcomes and experiences of people affected by lung cancer in Australia, irrespective of where they live.

The Consumer guide contains guidance on what people with lung cancer can do to engage with and participate actively in conversations with their health professionals, and make informed, evidence-based decisions about the cancer care that is right for them.

The Guide for health professionals contains evidence-based information and best-practice strategies, tools and resources to support adoption of the principles into best-practice lung cancer care.

These 2 resources, used in conjunction with the Lung Cancer Framework, will support health services to provide best-practice care and ultimately improve outcomes and experiences of people affected by lung cancer across Australia.

Delivering best-practice lung cancer care 

• A summary for health professionals
• A summary for health professionals – patient-centred care fact sheet (PDF 149.28 KB)
• A summary for health professionals – Timely access to evidence-based pathways of care fact sheet (PDF 147.3 KB)
• A summary for health professionals – Multidisciplinary care fact sheet (PDF 153.36 KB)
• A summary for health professionals – Coordination, communication and continuity of care fact sheet (PDF 150.15 KB)
• A summary for health professionals – Data-driven improvements in lung cancer care fact sheet (PDF 147.74 KB)

​Investigating symptoms of lung cancer: a guide for all health professionals

Investigating symptoms of lung cancer: a guide for all health professionals (PDF 417.68 KB) assists health professionals to identify and appropriately investigate symptoms that may be lung cancer. The guide also supports the timely referral of patients into the multidisciplinary diagnostic pathway.

Diagnosis at an earlier stage leads to improved survival. However, nonspecific lung cancer symptoms can make both patient awareness and diagnosis challenging.

The guide provides information about optimal timeframes for investigation and referral at each step of the pathway, as well as information about different types of imaging for lung cancer. It also emphasises the importance of the multidisciplinary team in the care of people with lung cancer.

The accompanying Evidence report  (PDF 1.96 MB)supports the recommendations in the guide. It includes additional recommendations to facilitate referral and patient support.

Investigating symptoms of lung cancer: a guide for all health professionals has been officially recognised as an Accepted Clinical Resource by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

The guide has also been endorsed by the following colleges and organisations:

• Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine
• Australian Primary Care Nurses Association
• Cancer Nurses Society of Australia
• Consumers Health Forum of Australia
• CRANAPlus
• Lung Foundation Australia
• National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker Association
• Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists
• Royal Australasian College of Physicians
• Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
• Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand.