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Ontario Lung Screening Program

The Ontario Lung Screening Program is Ontario’s organized screening program for people at high risk of getting lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death for people in Ontario. The reason so many people die from lung cancer is that by the time it is usually diagnosed, the cancer has spread to other parts of the body or is too big.

Lung cancer screening can help find lung cancer early, when treatment has a better chance of working.

Who Can Participate in Lung Cancer Screening

Cancer screening is testing done on people who have a chance of getting cancer, but have no symptoms and generally feel fine. People may qualify for lung cancer screening if they:

  • are 55 to 80 years old
  • have smoked cigarettes every day for at least 20 years (not necessarily 20 years in a row, which means there could be times when they did not smoke), and
  • have Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) coverage

Healthcare providers may refer patients to the program, or people may contact an Ontario Lung Screening Program location to have their age and smoking history assessed.

Not everyone who is referred to the program will qualify for lung cancer screening.