Lung Cancer Screening

The Ontario Lung Screening Program (OLSP) a free, province-wide initiative designed to help detect lung cancer early in people who are at high risk. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in Ontario, and unfortunately, by the time it is usually diagnosed, the cancer has often spread or become too advanced to treat effectively.

Lung cancer screening can help detect the disease earlier when treatments are more likely to be successful. The goal of this program is to find cancer in its earliest stages, giving patients a better chance of survival and more treatment options.

The program is available to people aged 55 to 80 who meet the following criteria:

• Smoking History: You must have smoked cigarettes daily for at least 20 years. This doesn’t have to be 20 years in a row—there can be breaks in between smoking.
• OHIP Coverage: You must have Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) coverage.

What are the Potential Benefits of Regular Lung Cancer Screening?

Getting screened regularly with a low-dose CT scan can find lung cancer earlier which may mean that:

• the chance of dying from lung cancer is lower
• treatment may have a better chance of working
• fewer treatments may be required and the treatments may be less invasive (easier to handle)

Screening can be part of taking an active role in protecting your health and can be reassuring for some people

What are the Potential Risks of Regular Lung Cancer Screening?

• Low-dose CT scans may cause false positives. Some low-dose CT scans will show a nodule that needs more testing. Usually this follow-up test is another low-dose CT scan. Most people who have more tests will not have cancer.
• Lung cancer screening may find a cancer that is growing very slowly and would never make you sick or cause you any harm. Unfortunately, it is usually not possible to tell which cancers are more harmful.

What Happens During a Low-Dose CT Scan?

• During the scan, the screening participant lies on an open table that passes through a large donut-shaped machine called a scanner.
• The scanner uses a small amount of radiation to take detailed pictures of the lungs. You may hear clicking or whirring noises during the scan. 
• The test only takes a few minutes and is not painful.
• There are no medications or needles given during the test.

How Can I Get Screened?

If you decide that lung cancer screening is right for you, you can make an appointment to discuss with your doctor or nurse for a referral to a hospital near your home.

What Happens After the Test?

What Does an Abnormal Low-Dose CT Scan Result Mean?

An abnormal result does NOT necessarily mean you have lung cancer. It shows lung nodules and small growths in the lung that may or may not be cancer has been found in your lungs. You need to get more tests to determine the cause of the abnormal result.

Lung nodules are very common, and not all nodules are cancerous. These nodules can be caused by inflammation, current or past infection, or non-infectious causes. These tests help doctors get a clearer picture and make sure any issues are properly assessed.

How Can I Prevent Lung Cancer?

Useful Resources