Graham's story

For Graham, the opportunity to take part in lung cancer screening came unexpectedly during a routine health check with his doctor. 

A former smoker living in regional Victoria, Graham was surprised when his doctor told him he was eligible for the National Lung Cancer Screening Program and could access a free low-dose CT scan. 

“He asked if I would be interested. It was free and so I said, ‘Why not?’  

“I initially wasn’t sure if I needed to do it, but I spoke to my wife and I thought: you just don’t know unless you do it. So, I made an appointment for the CT scan.” 

The scan itself was a simple process, and just two days later, Graham received his results. The scan had detected a lesion (an abnormal lump) that would need further testing. 

Graham was referred for further tests and met with a surgeon to understand what the findings meant.  

“I was worried when I heard the news but then I spoke to people at the clinic and the surgeons and they were all very reassuring and said that more than likely it would be benign.” 

After further investigation, doctors recommended removing the lesion. Graham underwent surgery and was relieved to find out it was benign. 

For Graham, the experience gave him peace of mind to know that he was able to act early. 

“My lung health is something that’s always played on my mind, being an ex-smoker. When the opportunity was there to find out if there was anything at all, I thought, let’s get onto it early.” 

Now, Graham is encouraging other eligible Australians to take part in lung screening. 

“I think that anyone who is eligible for the program should get tested. For your own peace of mind, you should do it because you never know.” 

For Graham, the message behind the It’s Good to Know campaign is simple: knowing early gives people the best chance to act. 

“It’s good to know because if there is something there, you can get onto it early and get treatment straight away," he said.