More than 12,700 Australians will be diagnosed with lung cancer in 2018.

Only 16% are expected to live five years after their diagnosis.

But a new screening program could help to detect and treat lung cancer before symptoms occur.

The trial will see people aged 55 and over, who smoke or have smoked, offered low-grade CT scans to detect early signs of the cancer.

Thoracic expert Dr Emily Stone from Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital is the lead investigator and tells Chris Smith it could help to improve survival rates.

“Very often when symptoms develop it’s too late to cure it, so we can certainly treat it, but we don’t have a chance to cure.”

Listen to the full interview below

For those interested in participating in the trials, the following numbers are available:

NSW: 02 9355 5689

QLD: 07 3139 6632