Lung Cancer Blueprint  3.0

Time to take the next step: Delivering equitable lung cancer reform in Australia  

Lung Foundation Australia’s third national Lung Cancer Blueprint outlines a policy and advocacy roadmap to improve outcomes for people affected by lung cancer across Australia. 

The Blueprint was developed through evidence review, extensive collaboration with leading clinicians and researchers, and community engagement. It sets out an evidence-informed roadmap for reform across six interconnected priority areas spanning the full continuum of lung cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship and research. 

At the heart of the Blueprint is a commitment to equity. It recognises that the burden of lung cancer is not shared equally: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples face more than double the incidence and mortality of non-Indigenous Australians, while people living in rural and remote areas, those experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage and other priority populations continue to face significant barriers to prevention, early detection, treatment and care. 

The Blueprint also embeds the voices and experiences of people with living experience, ensuring that its recommendations reflect the priorities and needs consistently identified by those directly affected.

Titled Time to take the next step: Delivering equitable lung cancer reform in Australia, the report sets out an evidence-informed plan for reform across six priority areas: 

1. Promote lung health for all Australians 

2. Advance equitable lung cancer outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples 

3. End Australia’s tobacco epidemic to improve lung health 

4. Expand and optimise the National Lung Cancer Screening Program 

5. Strengthen support for people living with lung cancer and their carers 

6. Increase investment in lung cancer research and innovation 

The Blueprint sets out an evidence informed plan for urgent, achievable reform across the lung cancer care continuum, calling for action to address persistent inequities and deliver better, fairer outcomes.  

This report is essential reading for policymakers, healthcare professionals, researchers, advocacy groups and community leaders seeking to understand and advance lung cancer reform in Australia. It highlights the urgent need for a more equitable lung cancer system and provides a clear pathway for improving outcomes for current and future generations.  

A one-page summary of the Blueprint is also available and can be accessed here.