National cancer screening programs
| Program | Who | Test | Interval |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cervical | Women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 74 who have ever been sexually active | HPV test (clinician-collected or self-collected) | Every 5 years if HPV not detected |
| Bowel | People aged 45 to 74; kits mailed from 50, and people aged 45 to 49 can request their first kit | Faecal immunochemical test (iFOBT) at home | Every 2 years |
| Breast | Women aged 50 to 74 are invited; women aged 40 and over can attend | Screening mammogram | Every 2 years |
| Lung (from July 2025) | People aged 50 to 70 with no symptoms, who smoke or quit within the past 10 years, with at least 30 pack-years | Low-dose CT scan | Every 2 years if very low risk; more often depending on findings |
From the national screening program pages on health.gov.au at the date above. People at higher than average risk may need different screening; check program guidelines.
Cardiovascular disease risk
The 2023 Australian guideline uses the AusCVDRisk calculator, which estimates 5-year risk and includes more factors than the old calculator.
| Group | Start risk assessment at |
|---|---|
| General population | 45 to 79 years |
| People with diabetes | 35 to 79 years |
| Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people | 30 to 79 years (assess risk factors from 18) |
| 5-year risk | Category |
|---|---|
| 10% or more | High |
| 5% to under 10% | Intermediate |
| Under 5% | Low |
Do not use the calculator for people already known to be at high risk, such as those with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease or familial hypercholesterolaemia.
Diabetes, kidney and other risk checks
- Type 2 diabetes: use the AUSDRISK tool from age 40 (earlier for higher-risk groups), and test fasting glucose or HbA1c if the score is high.
- Chronic kidney disease: check eGFR and urine albumin-creatinine ratio in people with diabetes, hypertension, CVD, smoking, obesity, family history or First Nations background.
- Blood pressure: check at least every 2 years in adults, more often if elevated or at risk.
- Osteoporosis: assess fracture risk in older adults and those with risk factors.
- Skin cancer: no population screening program, but opportunistic skin checks for high-risk people.
MBS health checks
| Check | Who |
|---|---|
| Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health assessment (item 715) | Any age, every 9 months |
| 45 to 49 year health assessment | People in this age group at risk of chronic disease, once |
| Older person's health assessment | People aged 75 and over (55 and over for First Nations people), yearly |
| Heart health check | Adults at risk of cardiovascular disease |
See Medicare and the MBS for IMGs for how these are claimed.
Children and pregnancy
- Newborn bloodspot screening (heel prick) in the first days of life, plus newborn hearing screening.
- Child health checks at set ages, including the healthy kids check around 4 years.
- National Immunisation Program from birth, with catch-up schedules for missed doses.
- Pregnancy: early bloods, first-trimester screening or NIPT, morphology ultrasound at about 20 weeks, and gestational diabetes testing at 24 to 28 weeks.
The Red Book
The RACGP Guidelines for preventive activities in general practice, known as the Red Book, is the standard reference for what to offer, to whom and how often. Exam questions on prevention usually reflect it, together with the national program websites.
Screening principles and statistics
Population health questions often test the reasoning behind screening rather than the program details.
- Good screening targets an important condition with a detectable early stage, an acceptable and accurate test, effective early treatment and a program that does more good than harm.
- Sensitivity is the proportion of people with the disease who test positive; specificity is the proportion without it who test negative.
- Positive predictive value rises with prevalence, which is why screening low-risk groups produces more false positives.
- Lead-time and length-time bias can make screening look more effective than it is, so programs are judged on mortality, not survival time alone.
- Overdiagnosis is finding disease that would never have caused harm; it is a key cost of screening.
Screening traps in exams
- Offering annual Pap smears instead of 5-yearly HPV tests from 25.
- Starting bowel screening at 50 when the patient is 46 and eligible to request a kit.
- Using screening tests in people with symptoms; symptoms need diagnostic tests.
- Forgetting that a positive bowel screening test needs colonoscopy, not a repeat test.
- Using the CVD calculator for someone already at high risk.
These patterns are covered further in common AMC MCQ reasoning mistakes.
Common questions
When does cervical screening start in Australia?
At 25, with an HPV test every 5 years until 74 if no HPV is detected.
What age is bowel cancer screening in Australia?
People aged 45 to 74 are eligible. Kits are mailed every 2 years from age 50, and people aged 45 to 49 can request their first kit.
Is there lung cancer screening in Australia?
Yes. Since July 2025, the National Lung Cancer Screening Program offers low-dose CT to people aged 50 to 70 without symptoms who smoke or quit in the past 10 years and have at least 30 pack-years.
At what age should cardiovascular risk be assessed?
From 45 in the general population, 35 in people with diabetes and 30 in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, using the AusCVDRisk calculator.