Fact sheet

Cancer Screening

Screening looks for cancer, or changes that could become cancer, in people who feel well. Four cancers have proven screening programs. Ages and gaps differ between countries, so here’s the big picture plus the Australian programs.

Quick answer: Screening finds cancers early, or before they start, in people without symptoms. Proven programs cover bowel (a home poo test), breast (mammogram), cervical (HPV test, which you can often self-collect) and lung (low-dose CT for people with a heavy smoking history). Ages vary by country. Symptoms need a doctor, not a screening test.

Benefits and trade-offs. Screening saves lives by finding cancers when they’re small and easier to treat, and bowel and cervical screening can prevent cancer by finding precancerous changes. The trade-offs are false alarms that need more tests, and sometimes finding slow cancers that would never have caused harm (overdiagnosis). Screening is for people without symptoms: if you have symptoms, see your GP rather than waiting for a test.

Bowel cancer

Test: a faecal immunochemical test (FIT, also called iFOBT) done at home every 2 years, which looks for tiny amounts of blood in poo. A positive result leads to a colonoscopy; most positive results aren’t cancer. Some countries also offer colonoscopy as a screening test.
In Australia: the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program sends a free kit every 2 years to people aged 50 to 74. People aged 45 to 49 are eligible too, but need to request their first kit online or on 1800 627 701.
Elsewhere: England offers FIT every 2 years from 50 to 74; the US recommends screening from 45 to 75.
Family history: a close relative with bowel cancer, especially before 55, may mean earlier or colonoscopy screening. Ask your GP.
Don’t wait for a kit if you have blood in your poo, a lasting change in bowel habit, unexplained weight loss or iron deficiency.

Breast cancer

Test: a mammogram (breast X-ray).
In Australia: BreastScreen Australia invites women aged 50 to 74 for a free mammogram every 2 years. Women aged 40 to 49 and 75 and over are also eligible for free screening but aren’t sent invitations.
Elsewhere: England screens every 3 years from 50 to 71; the US recommends every 2 years from 40 to 74.
Higher risk: a strong family history or a gene change such as BRCA1 or BRCA2 may mean earlier or more frequent checks, sometimes with MRI.
Between screens: see your GP about a new lump, skin dimpling, nipple changes or discharge, even if your last mammogram was clear.

Cervical cancer

Test: an HPV test, which looks for the virus types that cause almost all cervical cancers. It replaced the Pap smear in Australia in 2017 and is more effective.
In Australia: the National Cervical Screening Program offers an HPV test every 5 years for women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 74 who have ever been sexually active. Since July 2022, everyone can choose to take their own vaginal swab (self-collection) at a clinic, which is as accurate as a clinician-collected sample.
Elsewhere: WHO recommends HPV testing from age 30 every 5 to 10 years (from 25 every 3 to 5 years for women living with HIV). England screens from 25 to 64.
Still screen if you’ve had the HPV vaccine, are in a same-sex relationship, or have been through menopause.
Australia is on track to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem by 2035, thanks to HPV vaccination and screening.

Lung cancer

Test: a low-dose CT scan of the chest. In large trials (NLST and NELSON), screening people with a heavy smoking history lowered lung cancer deaths by about 20 to 24%.
In Australia: the National Lung Cancer Screening Program started on 1 July 2025. It offers a free low-dose CT every 2 years to people aged 50 to 70 with no symptoms who smoke or quit within the past 10 years, and have at least a 30 pack-year history (for example, a pack a day for 30 years). You don’t have to quit to take part. Your GP checks eligibility and refers you.
Elsewhere: the US recommends a yearly scan from 50 to 80 for people with a 20 pack-year history who smoke or quit within 15 years; England is rolling out targeted lung screening for people aged 55 to 74 with a smoking history.
Quitting smoking is still the biggest single thing you can do: see quit smoking.

Other cancers

Prostate: there’s no organised program in most countries. A PSA blood test is an individual choice after talking through the benefits and harms with your GP. See our prostate cancer deep dive.
Skin: there’s no population skin screening program in Australia. People at higher risk benefit from regular skin checks. See moles and melanoma checks.
Ovarian: no screening test has been shown to save lives, including CA-125 blood tests and ultrasound in healthy women.

Save your money

Popular, heavily marketed or often asked about, but the evidence is weak or says no.

Full-body MRI or CT scansSold to healthy people, but not shown to lower cancer deaths. They often find harmless things that lead to worry, more scans and biopsies.
Multi-cancer blood testsNot yet shown to lower cancer deaths, and they can miss cancers or flag ones that aren’t there. Keep doing the proven programs.

A scan that finds everything isn’t a feature. It’s how you end up having a biopsy for a harmless cyst.

See your GP if

You have symptoms such as bleeding, a lump, a cough lasting more than 3 weeks, or unexplained weight loss: don’t wait for a screening test
A screening result is positive or abnormal: follow it up, even if you feel well
You have a strong family history of cancer
You’re overdue or not sure whether you’re eligible

Health days. World Cancer Day is on 4 February, World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day on 17 November, and Bowel Cancer Awareness Month (Australia) in June: see our health days calendar.

Common questions

At what age does bowel cancer screening start in Australia?

45. People aged 45 to 49 can request a free kit online or on 1800 627 701; from 50 to 74 kits are posted automatically every 2 years.

Can I do my own cervical screening test?

Yes. In Australia, everyone eligible can choose self-collection: you take a vaginal swab yourself in private at a clinic. It’s as accurate as a sample taken by a clinician.

Who is eligible for lung cancer screening in Australia?

People aged 50 to 70 with no symptoms who smoke or quit in the past 10 years and have at least 30 pack-years of smoking. The low-dose CT is free every 2 years.

How often should I have a mammogram?

In Australia, every 2 years from 50 to 74 through BreastScreen, and you can start from 40. In England it’s every 3 years from 50 to 71.

Do I still need cervical screening if I’ve had the HPV vaccine?

Yes. The vaccine doesn’t cover every cancer-causing HPV type, and many adults were vaccinated after they’d already been exposed.

What happens if my bowel screening test is positive?

You’ll be referred for a colonoscopy. Most positive results are caused by polyps, haemorrhoids or other non-cancer causes, but it needs checking.

Should I have a PSA test for prostate cancer?

It’s a personal choice. Talk through the benefits (finding serious cancers earlier) and harms (false alarms and treating cancers that wouldn’t cause problems) with your GP.

Are full-body scans worth it?

No good evidence shows they save lives in healthy people. They often find harmless things that lead to more tests.

Evidence and more information

Updated 8 November 2026. General education, not personal medical advice. Talk to your GP or pharmacist about your situation.

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