Radiologists will report pleural effusions, abdominal lesions, coronary artery calcifications and reduced bone density under the new lung cancer screening program that starts in 57 days.

The program will screen asymptomatic adults aged 50-70 who currently smoke or have quit smoking in the past 10 years, and who have a 30 pack-year smoking history, every two years.

However, new Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) guidelines, prepared together with the Australian and New Zealand Society of Thoracic Radiology, recommend that radiologists report various incidental findings.

These include emphysema of any severity, interstitial lung abnormalities with high-risk features and moderate to severe bronchiectasis, with respiratory referral an option for symptomatic disease.