THE
lung cancer is the subject of a new pilot program screening In France. Since May 11, 2026, 20,000 smokers or ex-smokers aged 50 to 74 can benefit from a low-dose chest CT scan, fully reimbursed, in five pilot regions. According to the Ministry of Health, “the objective” is “to determine the contours of a future national program”.
This project called IMPULSION programfunded by the National Cancer Institute to the tune of 6 million euros, is starting in Île‑de‑France, Hauts‑de‑France, Pays de la Loire, Provence‑Alpes‑Côte d’Azur and Auvergne‑Rhône‑Alpes. 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%..
IMPULSION program: who is affected by lung cancer screening?
Screening is aimed at people aged 50 to 74, smokers or ex-smokers who stopped less than 15 years ago, with heavy past consumption (for example one pack per day for twenty years). They must reside in one of the five pilot regions or nearby. 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“.
This project responds to a recommendation from the High Authority of Health, which says it was brought “to encourage the implementation of real-life experiments“to test the feasibility of organized screening. The INCa summarizes the approach by stating that”IMPULSION is the preliminary step to the generalization of an organized lung cancer screening program“.
A section devoted to lung cancer has been added to the information site “I’m doing my screening” and an information leaflet “Lung Cancer Screening” is also made available to the general public.
Lung cancer: why this early detection can save lives
Tobacco remains responsible for around eight out of ten lung cancers. The INCa reminds that “only early diagnosis allows curative surgery“However, in 73% of cases, the disease is still discovered at an advanced stage, when symptoms appear and treatment options are greatly reduced.
The available figures support the value of this targeted screening. For the INCa, “Studies show that CT screening could reduce mortality linked to this cancer by around 20 to 25%.“. The Institute 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%.. In total, up to 13,000 deaths could be avoided in five years in France.
How to actually participate in lung cancer screening
Entry into the program is done either on the recommendation of a health professional or spontaneously. Doctors, tobacco specialists or nurses in the pilot regions identify eligible patients and refer them to an “investigating doctor”. Anyone can also call 34 33 or complete the questionnaire on depistage-cancer-poumon.fr. As INCa explains, “The inclusion consultation confirms the eligibility of the volunteer before registering in the program. The caregiver informs them in detail about the modalities of this screening and obtains their agreement to participate..
The route then rests on a low dose chest CTcarried out in an approved center. According to INCa, “The low-dose scan is carried out in an approved examination center (…) With a total duration of less than 10 minutes, it does not require an injection“. Three scans are planned over three years, 100% covered by Health Insurance. In the event of confirmed cancer, the person is “referred to a team specialized in thoracic oncology for treatment including psychological support“.
Will France catch up?
Remember that in this area, France appears to be lagging behind many countries. In the United States, the US Preventive Services Task Force recommends this annual examination between the ages of 50 and 80 for people who have smoked at least 20 pack-years and who still smoke or have stopped smoking less than 15 years ago. The large NLST and NELSON trials have already shown a reduction in specific mortality from 20% to more than 30% with this screening. In France, it was not until 2022 that a pilot program led by the National Cancer Institute was validated, with criteria close to those of the United States (50 to 74 years old, smokers or recent former smokers with at least 20 pack-years).
In practice, millions of French people at high risk therefore remain without organized screening… Pending the results of the IMPULSION program and the generalization announced for 2030-2035, the question of access to low-dose scanning and information for smokers and ex-smokers remains central.