Ontario Lung Screening Program

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers and the leading cause of cancer deaths in Ontario. If you are at high risk of lung cancer, having regular Low Dose CT (LDCT) scans can find it early when treatment has a better chance of working.

You may be eligible for lung  screening if you are:

  • Between 55 and 74 years of age and
  • Smoked cigarettes daily for at least 20 years.

Ask your doctor to refer you to the Ontario Lung Screening Program (OLSP) at Lakeridge Health. You can also call 905-576-8711 extension 34449.

If you’d like to learn more about the steps in the Lung Screening process, watch this video.

What you can expect from a referral to the OLSP

A nurse navigator from the OLSP will call you. You will be asked a list of questions to determine if you are eligible for high risk lung screening. This will include questions about your smoking history, health history and any family history of lung cancer. If your risk for lung cancer is low, you may not be eligible for screening. Not everyone referred to OLSP is eligible for screening.

If you are still smoking, the Nurse Navigator will offer you help to quit smoking.

If you are eligible for lung screening

You will be given an appointment for a LDCT at the Oshawa site of Lakeridge Health. A LDCT scan takes about 5 minutes to complete. You will go home after the scan.

A radiologist will look at the results of your CT scan and give it a Scan Score. This score determines what the next steps in your care will be. Read the Ontario Lung Screening Program handout to learn more about the Scan Score.

A nurse navigator will call you a few days after your LDCT to talk about your Scan Score and the next steps in your care. You may be given an appointment. This will depend on your Scan Score.

Lung screening is not right for everyone.

Talk to your family doctor or nurse practitioner if you have any of these symptoms:

  • A new cough that doesn't go away or gets worse;
  • Chest pain that is worse when you breathe deeply, cough or laugh;
  • A hoarse voice;
  • Unplanned weight loss;
  • No appetite;
  • Blood or rust-coloured spit or mucus with a cough;
  • Shortness of breath;
  • Infections, such as bronchitis and pneumonia, that do not go away or keep coming back;
  • Wheezing

You may need to have other tests and assessments to follow upon these symptoms.

Information for Primary Care Providers

Fax referrals to 905-721-4864

For more information about lung  screening in Ontario please visit the Ontario Health-Cancer Care Ontario website.