A free chest scanner, 100% covered by Health Insurance, is arriving to track lung cancer earlier in five French regions. This experimental screening, launched in spring 2026 and limited to 20,000 smokers or ex-smokers, follows strict criteria of age, tobacco and place of living. What to ask: are you one of the people affected?
Lung cancer screening: the IMPULSION program in brief
This device, called IMPULSION program for “IMPLEMENTATION of PULmonary cancer screening in the population”, started on May 11, 2026 in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Hauts-de-France, Île-de-France, Pays de la Loire and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. Funded by the National Cancer Institute, it responds to a challenge: the INCa reminds that “Lung cancer affects nearly 53,000 people each year and is the cause of nearly 30,900 deaths. This poor prognosis cancer has a 5-year net survival rate of 20%.“.
According to the Ministry of Health, “the objective” is “to determine the contours of a future national program”. THE
lung cancer screening proposed is based on three low-dose chest scans, all reimbursed at 100%: two examinations one year apart, then a follow-up two years later. The INCa reminds that “only early diagnosis allows curative surgery“.
The High Authority for Health says it was brought “to encourage the implementation of real-life experiments“, before a possible generalization. The INCa summarizes the interest by explaining that “Studies show that CT screening could reduce mortality linked to this cancer by around 20 to 25%.“. He adds: “Smoking cessation increases the effectiveness of screening. International studies have shown that combining screening with smoking cessation reduces the risk of death from lung cancer by 38%.“.
Lung cancer: who can benefit from free screening?
The program targets people from 50 to 74 years oldsmokers or ex-smokers who stopped less than 15 years ago and live in one of the five pilot regions. Health Insurance specifies that those who “are a smoker or ex-smoker for less than 15 years, smoking or having smoked 2 packs of cigarettes per day for 10 years or 1 pack of cigarettes per day for 20 years“. A coefficient applies for rolls, cigarillos, cigars, pipes or shisha. Consultations to help stop smoking are offered to each participant.
Conversely, Service-Public.fr indicates that you cannot enter the system if you have symptoms of lung cancer (unexplained weight loss, recent cough or shortness of breath), if you have severe comorbidities making treatment impossible, or if you have had a scan less than 12 months ago. In these cases, there is a need for diagnosis to be discussed with a doctor.
How to actually join the IMPULSION program
Entry is via 34 33 or depistage-cancer-poumon.fr, then an inclusion consultation and, if necessary, referral to thoracic oncology.