This page provides an overview of the National and State funded Cancer Screening Programs in Victoria. For more information, education and quality improvement resources relating to Cancer Screening, please visit our Cancer Screening Quality Improvement Post.
The National Cervical Cancer Screening Program is targeted to women and people with a cervix aged 25 – 74 years old. Cervical Screening Tests (CST) are recommended every 5 years and can be collected by a certified practitioner in a clinic or self-collected. If more frequent screening is required, this will be guided by a medical practitioner.
CSTs test for the presence of the human papillomavirus (HPV) which cause almost all cervical cancers. There are different types of HPV, some are considered “low-risk” whilst others are considered “high-risk”. More information about HPV can be found on the Cancer Council website.
The HPV vaccine used in Australia is called Gardasil ®9. This vaccine protects people against nine types of HPV that are responsible for most HPV-related illnesses, including cervical cancer.
More information about the National Cervical Cancer Screening Program can be found on the Department of Health Disability and Aging website.
The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program is targeted to people aged 50 – 74 years old. People aged 45 – 49 years old can also request a free kit to be sent to them in the mail. A Bowel Cancer Screening Test is recommended every 2 years and is completed at home by the patient. A stool sample is collected testing for Faecal Occult Blood.
More information on FOBT results can be found on the Cancer Council website.
More information about the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program can be found on the Department of Health Disability and Aging website.
The National Lung Cancer Screening Program is the newest screening program in Australia. This program is targeted to people aged 50 – 70 years old who are asymptomatic (show no signs or symptoms suggesting lung cancer), currently smoke or have quit smoking in the past 10 years and have a history of tobacco cigarette smoking of at least 30 pack-years.
The Lung Cancer Screening test is completed via a low-dose computed tomography (low-dose CT) scan and requires a referral from a Medical Practitioner.
More information about the National Lung Cancer Screening Program can be found on the Department of health Disability and Aging website.
The Victorian Breast Cancer Screening Program is run through Breastscreen Victoria and is targeted to women, trans and gender diverse people aged 50 – 74 years old, without breast symptoms. A mammogram is a low-dose x-ray and is recommended every 2 years.
More information about the Victorian Breast Cancer Screening Program can be found on the Department of Health Disability and Aging website.