New National Survey Shows Only 33% of People Know About Lifesaving Lung Cancer Screening

Today, the American Lung Association released its 2026 Lung Health Barometer, which revealed that awareness about lung cancer screening is still critically low. Only one-third (33%) of those surveyed were aware that low-dose CT scans are available for high-risk* individuals. This is significant because screening can detect lung cancer early, when there are more treatment options and better outcomes. The results were released ahead of World Lung Cancer Day, an annual global observance that takes place on August 1.

The American Lung Association’s Lung Health Barometer is a biannual national survey—now in its eighth iteration—that gauges public awareness and attitudes about lung cancer. A nationally representative sample of 4,000 adults was surveyed. The findings help inform the Lung Association’s efforts to end lung cancer by increasing awareness of the disease and the availability of lung cancer screening.

“The 2026 Lung Health Barometer found that there is significantly more work to do to raise awareness about lung cancer and the availability of lifesaving lung cancer screening. Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S., so prevention and early detection are critical to reducing the impact on families across the country,” said Harold Wimmer, President and CEO of the American Lung Association. “The results also reveal that most adults have not spoken with their healthcare provider about their risk for the disease, which is concerning because we know that screening can detect cancer early, when treatment is more likely to be successful.”

Key findings of the 2026 Lung Health Barometer include:

• Lung cancer screening is the key to early detection for those at high risk; however, only 33% of those surveyed were aware that lifesaving lung cancer screening is now available for adults who meet eligibility criteria.
• Only 28% of survey respondents knew that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.
• Although lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women, only 8% of respondents believed that lung cancer is among the most likely cancers to affect women while 32% believed that it was among those most likely to affect men.
• 70% of survey respondents agreed that they felt hopeful that the outcomes for those impacted by lung cancer improved over the past 10 years.
• 76% of respondents have not spoken with their doctor about their risk for lung cancer and only 36% are concerned they might get the disease.

These findings suggest that progress in lung cancer prevention, screening and treatment is not yet matched by public awareness. Improving understanding of lung cancer risk, screening eligibility, and the disease's impact on both women and men is critical to ensuring more people benefit from early detection and the advancements that have improved lung cancer outcomes over the past decade.

See the full survey findings at Lung.org/barometer.

*According to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a person is high risk for lung cancer and should be screened if they are 50-80 years of age, have a 20 pack-year history of smoking (1 pack/day for 20 years, 2 packs/day for 10 years), and currently smoke, or have quit within the last 15 years. Take a quiz to see if you are eligible at Savedbythescan.org.