00:00Art has been a constant comfort for Nicole Ives in tough times.
00:08Her husband Michael died in 2021 from esophageal cancer.
00:13Months later she went into hospital with appendicitis
00:16and a scan led to a chance finding.
00:19They'd found a lump in my lung.
00:22It was early stage lung cancer, a shock for the healthy non-smoker.
00:26Had you had any symptoms?
00:29No.
00:29No symptoms whatsoever.
00:31Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer
00:34but other contributors include air pollution and occupational hazards.
00:39Lung cancer is the biggest cause of cancer deaths in Australia and around the world.
00:44After many years in the making,
00:46Australia's targeted lung cancer screening program has started.
00:50We're very fortunate in one of the few countries
00:52where this national program will be rolled out.
00:54But not everyone is eligible for the bulk-billed scans.
00:58The program is open to heavy current or former smokers aged between 50 and 70.
01:04But one in three women who develop lung cancer have never smoked.
01:09For men, the figure is one in ten.
01:11So doctors have started a large trial to see if there's evidence more people should qualify for screening.
01:18Researchers aim to recruit 3,000 participants, including never or light smokers who will have a low-dose CT scan.
01:26We're trying to advance the knowledge by finding out who else will benefit.
01:29It's hoped 1,000 Indigenous Australians will take part as they're at higher risk.
01:34Twice as likely to develop and die from lung cancer.
01:38Firefighters are another vulnerable group because of their exposure to toxins.
01:42My suggestion and my hope would be that all firefighters,
01:46whether you be full-time, part-time or volunteer, would be able to access free screening.
01:51The lung screen trial will take up to three years to complete.
01:55So we have to make sure that the benefits outweigh the harms and it's affordable
01:59and can be feasible and practical in our health care system.
02:03Nicole Ives is now cancer-free, grateful for the lucky discovery of her tumour.
02:09Nicole Ives absolutely saved my life.
Comments