Survey: Most Americans Don't Know Lung Cancer Screening Saves Lives

A national survey finds most Americans don't know low-dose CT scans can prevent lung cancer deaths—a dangerous knowledge gap hitting Northern Colorado hard, where the disease kills more than any other cancer, according to the Lung Cancer Action Network.

"We took America's pulse in 2018 and sounded the alarm," said Dusty Donaldson, president of LungCAN and a 20-year lung cancer survivor. "Seven years later, the same dangerous myths remain. This is about a failure to tell people what could save their lives."

The survey of 2,000 U.S. adults conducted in October 2025 found public understanding of lung cancer "has not meaningfully improved" since 2018, despite major advances in screening. Only 6% correctly identified lung cancer as the leading cancer killer of women, and only 13% identified it as the leading cancer killer of men—figures unchanged since 2018.

Nearly half of Americans have never heard of lung cancer screening. Only 45% know a CT scan detects lung cancer early; one in four still think an X-ray works.

Just 13% knew that radon—a colorless, odorless gas found in homes—is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Only 11% knew former smokers may qualify for screening up to 15 years after quitting.

One-third blame the patient. Six in ten link lung cancer to death. More than a quarter believe little can be done after diagnosis.

Jamie L. Studts, PhD, Scientific Director of Behavioral Oncology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Cancer Center, emphasized the cost of persistent stigma: "When compassion isn't paired with knowledge, stigma persists, and people are less likely to seek screening or timely care that are vital to surviving lung cancer."

Colorado diagnoses 62.5% of lung cancer cases at late stage—barely lower than the national 64.9%, according to the National Cancer Institute's State Cancer Profiles. Lung cancer kills more Americans than any other cancer annually, with an age-adjusted mortality rate of 31.5 per 100,000 between 2019 and 2023, according to the National Cancer Institute's SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) database.

Low-dose CT screening cuts lung cancer deaths by 20%. Yet lung cancer remains the least screened major cancer—not because people refuse screening, but because no one tells them who qualifies, how it works, or why it matters, according to LungCAN.

A 10-state CDC survey found only 12.5% of high-risk adults ages 55–80 reported getting a CT scan in the prior year. Colorado was not part of the survey.

Donaldson said lung cancer is no longer a hopeless diagnosis—but only if people know screening exists and who qualifies. LungCAN is calling for a federally coordinated public service campaign to spell out who qualifies for lung cancer screening and how the screening process works.