Fecal immunochemical test (FIT): This home screening kit that finds hidden blood in stool has been very effective since its introduction to Nova Scotians in 2009.
As of January 2023, the Colon Cancer Prevention Program has identified:
Health care providers can obtain a copy of a patient's Pap history by calling:
A minimum of 48 hours' notice is required.
Nurses looking to obtain an N number for submitting Pap smears may also contact the Screening Program at the numbers above.
The following resources can be downloaded for printing:
Nova Scotians over the age of 40 can book a mammogram through the Nova Scotia Breast Screening Program:
For more information, visit:
The Lung Screening Program is a new screening program for Nova Scotians. It is currently available to people in the Central Zone areas of Nova Scotia. The program will be expanded to other areas across the province using a phased-in approach.
Resources for PCPs:
Resources for patients under your care:
Lung cancer is a cancer that starts in the lungs. Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in Nova Scotia.
Lung screening is about looking for lung cancer when you are feeling well and have no warning signs or symptoms. The goal is to find lung cancer early when treatment works best.
The Lung Screening Program is for people who do not have symptoms. The wait time for the program can be very long, and different testing is needed if you have symptoms.
If you have symptoms, do not call the program. Talk to your primary health care provider (family doctor or nurse practitioner). If you do not have a primary health care provider, you can register with Virtual Care NS to meet with a doctor or nurse practitioner online.
Warning signs or symptoms of lung cancer may include:
The Lung Screening Program is operated by Nova Scotia Health’s Cancer Care Program. The goals are to:
Contacting the Lung Screening Program is a step you can take for your health. The program has three parts:
About half of all people who call the program are not found to be at very high risk for lung cancer. If you are not at a very high risk for lung cancer, you will not benefit from a CT scan and will not be offered one.
If you have no worrying symptoms, are between 50 and 74 years old and have smoked daily for 20 years or more, please call the Lung Screening Program. You can call toll-free at 1-833-505-LUNG (5864).
If you are between 50 and 74 years old and have stopped smoking but did smoke daily for 20 years or more, please call the program.
When you call the program, you may have to leave your name and phone number. A staff member will call you back to book a phone appointment with a nurse navigator (a nurse with special training).
The nurse navigator will ask questions to find out your risk for lung cancer. They will explain the best next steps for you and answer your questions to help you make decisions.
We will offer you information about improving your lung health. If you smoke, we will offer you information about stopping smoking, if you want to quit. Smoking is the number one risk factor for lung cancer.
About half of people who call the program are found not to be at very high risk for lung cancer. They will not benefit from a CT scan and will not be offered one.
For now, the Lung Screening Program is available in Central Zone, which includes:
The program will eventually be available across the province.
You can call the Lung Screening Program if you:
Phone (toll-free): 1-833-505-LUNG (5864)
You will be offered information about lung cancer and ways to protect your lung health. A nurse navigator will ask questions to figure out your risk for lung cancer.
If you are found to be at very high risk for lung cancer, you will be offered a CT scan. The nurse navigator will talk with you about the benefits and risks of a CT scan. If you choose to have one, the nurse navigator will book your appointment.
About half of all people who call the program will be found to not be at very high risk for lung cancer. This means they will not benefit from a CT scan and will not be offered one.
If you smoke, we will offer you information and supports about stopping smoking. Smoking is the number one risk factor for lung cancer.
Smoking is the number-one risk factor for lung cancer. It is never too late to benefit from quitting smoking. Ask your doctor for help to stop smoking or call 811 from anywhere in Nova Scotia to reach Tobacco-Free Nova Scotia, our provincial quit line. There is no cost to you for this service. Speak with a certified smoking-cessation counsellor, get help with issues like cravings and withdrawal and, when you are ready, develop a quit plan that is right for you. You may also want to talk to a health care provider for more information.
The Lung Screening Program is a new screening program. We are making it available one zone at a time, so we can learn what works and what changes are needed. The goal is to make the screening program as safe as it can be.
Lung screening looks for cancer before you have signs and symptoms. If you have symptoms and you are concerned about lung cancer, talk with your primary health care provider. For information about signs and symptoms of lung cancer, please see question 3.
Smoking is the number-one risk factor for lung cancer. It is never too late to benefit from quitting smoking. Ask your doctor for help to stop smoking or call 811 from anywhere in Nova Scotia to reach Tobacco-Free Nova Scotia, our provincial quit line. There is no cost to you for this service. Speak with a certified smoking-cessation counsellor, get help with issues like cravings and withdrawal and, when you are ready, develop a quit plan that is right for you.
Smoking is the number one risk factor for developing lung cancer. Your risk for lung cancer increases with the number of cigarettes, cigars, and pipes smoked and the number of years you have smoked.
It is never too late to benefit from stopping smoking. Stopping smoking at any age lowers your risk of developing lung cancer and many other cancers.
There are also other risks that we are just learning about.
Radon is a radioactive gas that occurs naturally in the ground. You cannot see, smell, or taste it. Radon can get into buildings through cracks and holes. Over time, breathing in high levels of radon can cause lung cancer.
There are tests that can measure the amount of radon in your home. If a test shows high levels of radon:
The only way to know if you’ve been exposed to radon is to test your home for its presence.
Lung cancer screening with CT is useful for people who are at very high risk of lung cancer because of smoking.
There are risks with CT screening and we do not know if it is safe to screen people who are at risk because of environmental exposures. Most people will not benefit from a CT scan.
Research is being done in Nova Scotia and around the world to learn more about the environmental risks of lung cancer. When we know more about measuring these risks and how to screen people safely, we may include environmental risks as a reason for lung screening.
Lung cancer is much more common in smokers than in non-smokers who have been exposed to second-hand smoke.
Lung cancer screening with a CT scan is useful in people who are at very high risk of lung cancer. There are risks to having a CT scan, and most people won’t benefit from the scan. Non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke will have less benefit from a CT scan, compared with the risks of having the scan.
Questions about benefits and risks of lung cancer screening
If you are at very high risk for lung cancer, lung screening may find cancer early, when treatment works best. Lung screening could save your life.
Lung screening also has risks.
If you are between 50 and 74 years old and have smoked daily for 20 years or more, you should call the Lung Screening Program. A nurse navigator will ask questions to figure out your risk for lung cancer and whether lung cancer screening is right for you.
The nurse navigator will talk with you about these risks and answer any questions you may have. It is up to you to decide if a screening CT scan is right for you.
No. There is no cost to be screened for lung cancer. However, if you need a CT scan, you will need to pay for things like transportation and parking for your appointment.
The first step in lung cancer screening is a phone appointment with a nurse navigator. They will ask questions to figure out your risk for lung cancer. This will take about 20 minutes.
Your answers to the nurse navigator’s questions will help decide the next steps. If they find you to be at very high risk for lung cancer, they will talk with you about having a CT scan. They will tell you what is involved and answer any questions you may have.
If you decide to have a CT scan, the nurse navigator will book an appointment for you. The CT scan takes about 2 minutes, but the whole appointment (including registering and change into a johnny shirt) may take 30 minutes.
The CT scan will be done in a hospital. Your appointment could be delayed if other patients need emergency tests.
No. Screening for cancer is not perfect. But if you are at a very high risk for lung cancer, lung screening is the best way to find a pre-cancer or a cancer early when treatments work best.
If you are between 50 and 74 years old and smoked daily for at least 20 years (even if you have stopped smoking), you can call the Lung Screening Program to talk to a nurse navigator. Phone (toll-free) 1-833-505-LUNG (5864).
The nurse navigator will ask questions to see if you are at very high risk for lung cancer. They will answer any questions you have.
Questions about CT scans
A CT scan uses a computer attached to an x-ray machine to take detailed pictures of areas inside your body. A lung screening CT scan takes pictures of your lungs.
You do not need to do anything to get ready for this test.
Right now, the Lung Screening Program is only available to people who live in Central Zone. For now, all lung screening CT scans are done at the QE II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax. We are working with other hospitals to eventually have lung screening available across the province.
No. CT scans do not benefit everyone, and there are risks with having a CT scan (see question 18).
Only people who are found to be at very high risk for lung cancer will be offered a CT scan.
A lung CT scan takes a picture of your lungs. The scan is free, quick, and doesn’t hurt.
A lung CT scan happens at a hospital. At the hospital, you will be asked to change into a hospital gown or johnny shirt.
You will lie on a table with your arms raised over your head, if possible. The table will move so the scanner is over your chest. The scanner is shaped like a doughnut. You will be asked to hold your breath for a few seconds while the scan is happening. Then, a small amount of radiation will be used to take pictures of your lungs.
The scan itself takes about 10 seconds. You don’t need to take any medications. You won’t get any needles.
A radiologist (a doctor who specializes in reading medical images) will review the scan and decide on next steps.
You will get a letter that explains your results and next steps. Your primary health care provider (if you have one) will also get a letter explaining your results and next steps.
If you need any follow-up tests, a nurse navigator will call you.
We try to have results ready within 7 days (1 week), but it may take longer. It is important to have a radiologist with special lung cancer training look at the scans. Your scan may need to be reviewed by 2 radiologists. The goal is to ensure all scans are reviewed carefully and accurately.
Yes, this is possible. As you get older, your risk of lung cancer increases. If you do not qualify for a lung CT this time, the nurse navigator will let you know if screening may be right for you in the future.
The Lung Screening Program looks for cancer in people who are feeling well and have no symptoms. It is important to make sure that the benefits of screening (finding lung cancer early when treatment works best) outweigh any risks. The nurse navigator will ask many questions to decide if the benefits for you to have a CT scan outweigh the risks.
Lung cancer screening with a CT scan is useful in people who are at very high risk for lung cancer. The test is less helpful for people who at lower risk of lung cancer.
About half of people who call the program will not be offered a CT scan. This is because for them, the risks of a CT scan are higher than the benefits. There are many reasons why a CT scan may not be the right choice for someone. If you would not benefit from a CT scan, the nurse navigator will explain the why.
If you would not benefit from CT scan now, you may qualify in the future. The nurse navigator will give you more information.
If your risk for lung cancer is not high enough to need a CT scan, it does not mean you will not get lung cancer. It means you are less likely to get lung cancer.
Questions about smoking and support to quit smoking
Everyone who calls the Lung Screening Program will be asked if they smoke, or if they have smoked in the past. Smoking is the number one risk factor for lung cancer. Knowing your smoking history will help your nurse navigator decide the next steps that are right for you.
Yes. If you smoke, we will offer you information about supports for stopping smoking, if you are interested. We know it is hard to quit smoking and we are here to help in any way we can. If you do not want to stop smoking, you can still call the program and find out if lung cancer screening is right for you.
Yes. The nurse navigator can tell you about the supports available to help you stop smoking.
With your consent, they can also refer you to Tobacco Free Nova Scotia. Once they send a referral, a tobacco cessation counsellor will call you. They will work with you to make a plan and help you as needed. For more information, visit Tobacco Free Nova Scotia.
Quitting smoking is hard for many reasons. Tobacco has nicotine in it, which is very addictive. Your addiction to nicotine can get stronger the longer you smoke and the more you smoke.
Stopping smoking can cause unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, like:
Smoking can become part of your routine. You may have to change your routine to avoid triggers (like having a cigarette during a break at work, after a meal, or with a cup of coffee).
You may smoke to help with boredom, stress, or sadness.
Everyone is different. What works for one person may not work for someone else.
Studies have shown that combining ‘quit aids’ with counselling works best. ‘Quit aids’ include medications like Champix® (varenicline) and Zyban® (bupropion). Another type of ‘quit aid’ is nicotine replacement therapy (NRT).
‘Quit aids’ are medications that can lower your cravings for nicotine. They can help you stop smoking. Some ‘quit aids’ like Champix® (varenicline) and Zyban® (bupropion) need a prescription. Others, like nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), do not need a prescription.
Smoking cessation counsellors have special training in nicotine addiction. They can support you to stop smoking by: