Over the 15 years since the 45 and Up Study was established, researchers have harnessed its capacity for enabling rigorous, comprehensive investigation of cancer causes, care, and outcomes. For the first time in Australia, the entire cancer-control continuum could be investigated by linking questionnaire data with cancer registry notifications, hospital records, outpatient medical services and prescription medications at scale. This paper uses lung cancer as a case study to demonstrate the Study’s potential to improve cancer control.

Between 2006–2013, approximately 1200 participants in the Study cohort who had no prior history of cancer were diagnosed with lung cancer, allowing the generation of novel, policy- and practice-relevant evidence for tobacco control, targeted lung cancer screening, and systems of care. The Study provides reliable estimates of cancer risk, health services use, and person-centred outcomes that can inform policy and practice decision making; and has provided the backbone for localising policy-relevant insights from international experience.