The ad was a call for volunteers aged between 55 and 80, who had been lifelong smokers, to take part in a screening trial for lung cancer.

Mr Beatty, who is in his 60s and has smoked regularly since he was 14, certainly fit the profile, so he made contact with the Prince Charles Hospital.

The hospital was just starting a major international five-year clinical trial of a new way to detect lung cancer using low-dose CT scans.

As soon as Mr Beatty, the public face of the RSPCA in Queensland, went for a scan, a spot on his right lung was detected and, just a few months later, he had an operation to remove it.

“I asked one of the doctors if they hadn’t seen it then, 'how long would I have had, 10 years, five years?'," Mr Beatty said.

"He said maybe three. If they hadn’t caught it I would have been in the last stages now”

Lung cancer is one of the most aggressive cancers, accounting for almost 19 per cent of cancer-related deaths annually, despite making up 10 per cent of all diagnoses.

Unfortunately once a patient starts showing symptoms such as coughing or impaired breathing, the cancer is often too advanced to operate.

Lung specialist Kwun Fong and his research team at the Prince Charles Hospital are hoping their technique will allow them to spot lung cancers while they are still operable.

“When you have a very small cancer, if you find it early enough, instead of taking the whole lobe, which would take a lot of good lung with it, you can take a small slice of it,” Professor Kwun said.

“If it’s spread elsewhere like to the liver or the bone then you can’t have an operation, so that’s why we’re so keen to get in there because we know an operation gives the best chance of a cure, and long-term survival.”

CT scans use much more radiation than a typical X-ray, meaning they give a much higher quality picture of a patient’s insides, but also carry the risk of the high radiation levels themselves causing problems for the patient.

The team is experimenting with using a lower power CT scan, which gives a less clear picture but provides enough clarity for a diagnosis in high-risk patients.

They are on year three of the five-year trial, and have been sharing data with research labs in Canada and Hong Kong which are conducting joint studies.

Professor Kwun said they were still looking for volunteers who fit the risk profile to take part.

“If this works, ideally we’d like to have a screening program as effective as breast screening and cervical screening,” he said.

For his part, Mr Beatty can not urge people strongly enough to take part if they can.

“I have a friend who’s had lung cancer for quite a while now, and she’s on quite painful immunotherapy,” he said.

“If you can spare yourself that, why wouldn’t you?”

For the study the researchers are looking for current or former smokers, age between 55 and 80, and be in good general health.

People wanting to join the trial should call 07 3139 6632 or email ILST@health.qld.gov.au