Due to higher than expected referral volumes, we are currently experiencing lengthy delays in the processing of referral forms. If you are a health care provider seeking the status of your referral, we encourage you to have your patient call us directly at 1-877-717-5864 (or locally at 604-877-6274) between 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM, Monday to Friday, to be immediately assessed for eligibility, rather than wait to be contacted by the Program. You may wish to provide your patient with a green lung screening referral slip containing our phone number (order here) or just have them call us.
Once a referral is processed, you will be notified if your patient is NOT eligible for lung screening or if we are unable to reach your patient. If they ARE eligible, they will be booked for a low-dose CT on your behalf and their results will be sent to you. Please note: hospital CT wait times generally range from 1-6 months. We kindly ask that you DO NOT fax the same referral multiple times.
For patients who prefer to speak in a language other than English, please have them call the Program together with a trusted family member or friend who can help interpret, if possible, as this is faster than waiting for us to call them with an interpreter. Otherwise, please fax a completed Eligibility Assessment Request Form to 604-877-6115, indicating only their BEST preferred language.
If you have a question not related to the status of a referral, please email lungscreeningprogram@bccancer.bc.ca or fax 604-877-6115 with your inquiry and we will endeavour to get back to you within 48 hours. If your matter is urgent, please indicate so in the Subject line. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Lung screening in BC is organized under a partnership framework with regional health authorities, hospital screening sites, primary care providers, and specialists. With 70 per cent of all cases diagnosed at an advanced stage, the Lung Screening Program aims to detect lung cancer at an earlier stage, when treatment is more effective. A network of lung screening clinics has been established across BC within each health authority, using the existing computed tomography (CT) capacity in hospitals for patients to access.
Lung screening involves a low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scan of the lungs. During the scan, the patient lies on a table, and a CT scanner takes detailed images of their lungs. The scan takes less than 15 seconds and is not painful. Patients do not need to take any medications, or receive any needles for this test. After a patient's LDCT scan, a radiologist with expertise in early diagnosis will review the images taken at a designated reading site located within the patient's health authority. Results of the patient's lung scan will be sent to the patient and their primary care provider.
An organized lung screening program is essential for the following reasons:
- To ensure eligible British Columbians have an equitable opportunity to participate in high quality lung screening;
- To ease the burden on primary care providers by acting as a centralized resource and assuming responsibility for eligibility determination, shared decision making, smoking cessation counselling, results communication, early recall notification and future surveillance reminders until upper age limit is reached, or the individuals are no longer eligible for screening due to co-morbidities;
- To provide standardized communication, screening and care to individuals at high-risk for lung cancer; and,
- If screening results are abnormal, to provide individuals with the appropriate recommendation for further testing and follow-up.
Should my patient get a low-dose CT (LDCT) scan?
Generally, anyone between the ages of 55 to 74, who are considered high-risk and do not have any symptoms, may be eligible for screening.
Routine screening is
not recommended.
Never smoked in the past.
- Routine screening is not recommended.
Never smoked in the past.
- Routine screening is
not recommended.
Has a significant history of regularly smoking commercial tobacco (cigarettes, cigars, etc), currently or in the past.
- Patient is encouraged to call 1-877-717-5864 directly to complete a consultation and risk assessment over the phone to confirm their screening eligibility.
- For patients who you consider may experience barriers to self-referral (e.g. language barrier, screening hesitancy), complete and fax the
Eligibility Assessment Request Form (PDF) to 1-604-877-6115. A program navigator will contact the patient by phone to determine screening eligibility.
- If your patient cannot be contacted by phone or would need support answering the risk assessment questions, you could complete the assessment together with the patient and fax the responses to the Lung Screening Program. The Lung Screening Program will review your assessment and facilitate referral for screening if the patient is eligible. Email lungscreeningprogram@bccancer.bc.ca to request a copy of the questionnaire.
- If the patient is considered eligible, routine screening is recommended annually or biennially. The patient’s primary care provider, or the provider indicated to receive results on the patient’s
Eligibility Assessment Request Form (PDF), will receive results once the patient is screened.
- If the patient is not eligible, the referring provider will be notified.
Note: Not everyone will be eligible for lung screening. Remind the patient that they may not be eligible after the risk assessment if they are not considered at high risk for lung cancer. If you are interested, use the online risk calculator to review the factors that determine a patient’s eligibility and how different characteristics affect their risk score.