Americans Are Open to Lung Cancer Screening, but Awareness and Education Have Not Caught Up

Washington, D.C., November 5, 2026 – A new Susan Wojcicki Foundation poll, conducted by Ipsos, finds that there is a significant gap between public awareness of lung cancer screening recommendations and the opportunity for early detection. Only one-quarter of Americans report being at least somewhat familiar with current lung cancer screening recommendations, while half are not familiar at all. Even among those at elevated risk, awareness remains limited. Discussions with health care providers also appear infrequent, as only roughly one in seven Americans say their doctor has talked with them about cancer screening options.

Importantly, the findings suggest that Americans are highly receptive to education and conversations about lung cancer screening. Messages emphasizing that early detection leads to more treatment options and better chances of survival are especially persuasive for a majority of Americans, followed by messages reinforcing that anyone with lungs can get lung cancer and that it is not solely a “smoker’s disease.”

Detailed Findings

1. Americans’ awareness of the current medical recommendations for lung cancer screening is low, and most have not discussed the disease with their doctors.

• Only a quarter (25%) are at least somewhat familiar with the recommendations for lung cancer screening. 74% are not familiar, including 51% who are not at all familiar. Americans age 65 and over are more likely than any other age group to be at least somewhat familiar with these recommendations (41%).
• A little over a third of those who currently smoke or formerly smoked are at least somewhat familiar with the recommendations (35%).
• Only 14% of Americans feel that their doctor has discussed cancer screenings and their options with them. Only 29% of those who currently smoke feel this describes them well.
• Older Americans, ages 50+ (18% among ages 50-64 and 22% among ages 65+) are more likely to feel that their doctor has discussed cancer screening options with them than those below 50 years old (8% among ages 18-34 and 10% among ages 35-49).

2. When provided with factual statements about lung cancer, Americans demonstrate some knowledge gaps. Most are aware that lung cancer can occur in those who do not smoke but are less knowledgeable about the prevalence and severity of the disease.

• About four in five Americans answered correctly that lung cancer can occur in people who have never smoked (84%) and screening can help detect lung cancers before they spread (80%).
• Those who formerly smoked (86%) are more likely to answer correctly that screening can help detect lung cancers before they spread than those who currently smoke (68%).
• 58% of Americans answered incorrectly that after smoking, secondhand smoke is the second leading cause of lung cancer and about a third (35%) were not sure.
• Over half of Americans were not sure whether lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths world wide (57%), and over a quarter answered correctly (27%).
• Similarly, 55% of Americans were not sure whether the statement that a majority of lung cancer cases are diagnosed at an early stage was true or not, and 30% answered correctly.

3. A majority of Americans can be convinced to speak to their health care provider about whether lung cancer screening is right for them.

• A plurality of Americans, 40%, have no concerns if their doctor were to recommend that they get screened for lung cancer. For those who state a concern, the main one is the possibility of having cancer (28%).
• The most convincing messaging for Americans to speak to their doctors about lung cancer is finding lung cancer early can lead to more treatment options and better chances of survival (68%). This is followed by anyone with lungs can get lung cancer and lung cancer isn’t just a “smoker’s disease” (58%).
• Finding lung cancer early can lead to more treatment options and better chances of survival is also the message that resonates most with those who formerly smoked (75%).

4. Most believe that anyone, regardless of circumstances, deserves compassion when dealing with a lung cancer diagnosis – but awareness of current screening requirements plays a role here. Few openly share belief in stigma.

• 61% of Americans believe that if someone smokes, they still deserve compassion when dealing with a lung cancer diagnosis. Americans who are familiar with the recommendations for lung cancer screenings are more likely to believe this than those who are not familiar (71% v 59%).
• Only 8% identify with the belief that people diagnosed with lung cancer caused it through their own choices. Those who currently smoke (16%) are more likely to believe this than those who formerly smoked (8%).

About the Study

This poll was conducted by Ipsos from October 23rd to 25th, 2026, using the probability-based KnowledgePanel®. This poll is based on a nationally representative probability sample of 2,020 adults age 18 or older.

The survey was conducted using KnowledgePanel, the largest and most well-established online probability-based panel that is representative of the adult U.S. population. Our recruitment process employs a scientifically developed addressed-based sampling methodology using the latest Delivery Sequence File of the USPS – a database with full coverage of all delivery points in the U.S. Households invited to join the panel are randomly selected from all available households in the U.S. Persons in the sampled households are invited to join and participate in the panel. Those selected who do not already have internet access are provided a tablet and internet connection at no cost to the panel member. Those who join the panel and who are selected to participate in a survey are sent a unique password-protected log-in used to complete surveys online. As a result of our recruitment and sampling methodologies, samples from KnowledgePanel cover all households regardless of their phone or internet status and findings can be reported with a margin of sampling error and projected to the general population.

The study was conducted in English. The data for the total sample were weighted to adjust for gender by age, race/ethnicity, education, Census region, metropolitan status, and household income. The demographic benchmarks came from the 2025 March Supplement of the Current Population Survey (CPS). Party ID benchmarks are from the 2025 National Public Opinion Reference Survey (NPORS).

• Age (18-29, 30-44, 45-59, 60+) by Gender (Male, Female)
• Race-Ethnicity (White/Non-Hispanic, Black/Non-Hispanic, Other or 2+ Races/Non-Hispanic, Hispanic)
• Education (Less than HS, HS graduate or equivalent, Some College, Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree or higher)
• Household Income (Under $25,000, $25,000-$49,999, $50,000-$74,999, $75,000-$99,999, $100,000-$149,999, $150,000 and over)
• Region (Northeast, Midwest, South, West)
• Metropolitan Status (Metro, non-Metro)
• Party Identification (Republican, Lean Republican, Not Leaned/Refused, Lean Democrat, Democrat)

The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2.2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, for results based on the entire sample of adults. The margin of sampling error takes into account the design effect, which was 1.05.

The margin of sampling error is higher and varies for results based on sub-samples. In our reporting of the findings, percentage points are rounded off to the nearest whole number. As a result, percentages in a given table column may total slightly higher or lower than 100%. In questions that permit multiple responses, columns may total substantially more than 100%, depending on the number of different responses offered by each respondent.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Mallory Newall
Senior Vice President, US
Public Affairs
+1 202 374-2613
[email protected]

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