Lung screening in Canada, 2023-24
About this section
There is one fully implemented province-wide lung screening program in Canada. Five jurisdictions have partially implemented lung screening programs, and four are planning for implementation. This section describes the status and key activities of lung screening programs in each jurisdiction.
Lung screening programs
Lung screening programs, pilots and pre-implementation projects
Six provinces are currently offering lung screening, and there is variability in how each jurisdiction provides screening services. All ten provinces have or are developing a lung screening program that includes integrated smoking cessation supports. Screening parameters, referral strategies, and promotional strategies, as well as integrated IT systems, are all elements of organized screening programs (WHO, IARC).
To accelerate the implementation of organized lung screening programs across Canada, the Partnership made funding available in 2020 to provinces and territories to plan, implement, scale, and spread lung screening activities. All 10 provinces accepted funding. The Partnership continues to fund many provinces as they continue planning and implementation activities, until such time that their programs are fully operational and have sustainable funding to support ongoing activities. To reduce barriers in lung screening, provinces are engaging with high-risk populations and First Nations, Inuit, and Métis to ensure that lung screening programs are culturally appropriate and meet the needs of high-risk populations.
In the table below, screening programs defined themselves as “full programs” if they are organized programs, are available jurisdiction-wide and embed a culturally safe approach to care. A full organized program would also include elements such as eligibility criteria, quality assurance mechanisms, patient navigation, participant recall, diagnostic follow up, etc. Programs defined themselves as “partial” if they are organized programs that have rolled out in certain sites or for certain populations across the jurisdiction, are being phased-in over time by gradually increasing the capacity of screening sites, or are otherwise still working towards being a full program. Programs define themselves as “pilots” if they offer lung screening for high-risk individuals, but include time-bound screening activities that do not have confirmed sustainable funding.
Lung screening programs in Canada
| P/T | Start date | Implementation status | Program/pilot/project name | Agency responsible for program administration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YT | N/A | No current lung cancer screening activities | Government of Yukon Health and Social Services | |
| NT | N/A | No current lung cancer screening activities | Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority | |
| NU | N/A | No current lung cancer screening activities | Government of Nunavut Department of Health | |
| BC | 2022 | Full program, province-wide | BC Lung Screening Program | BC Cancer, Provincial Health Services Authority |
| AB | 2022 | Pilot | Alberta Lung Cancer Screening Program (ALCSP) | Alberta Health Services |
| SK | N/A | Planning for implementation | Saskatchewan Lung Screening and Prevention Program | Saskatchewan Cancer Agency |
| MB | N/A | Planning for implementation | LungCheck | CancerCare Manitoba |
| ON | 2021 (pilot began in 2017) | Partially implemented | Ontario Lung Screening Program (OLSP) | Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) |
| QC | 2021 | Pilot | Lung Cancer Screening Demonstration Project | Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (Ministry of Health and Social Services) |
| NB | Target 2025 | Planning for implementation | New Brunswick Cancer Network (NB Department of Health) | |
| NS* | 2024 | Partially implemented | Nova Scotia Lung Screening Program | Nova Scotia Health Cancer Care Program |
| PE | target 2024 | Planning for implementation | Health PEI | |
| NL^ | 2024 | Pilot | NL Lung Screening Pilot Project | Cancer Care Program, NL Health Services |
*NS: As of January 19, 2024, NS has started implementation of a lung cancer screening program in the central zone (Halifax region) and will implement in other sites/zones when ready. A soft launch of the program in the central zone began in July 2023.
^NL: As of March 11, 2024, NL has started implementation of a lung cancer screening pilot program.