New Poll: More Americans Know About Pope Leo’s Lung Cancer Diagnosis Than About Current Lung Cancer Screening Recommendations

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Nov. 5, 2026: Despite Pope Leo XIV’s recent diagnosis shining a global spotlight on lung cancer, most U.S. adults still don’t know who is at risk and the current screening guidelines, according to a new Ipsos poll of more than 2,000 U.S. adults for the Susan Wojcicki Foundation.

Fielded less than two weeks after the Vatican announced the news, the poll found that just over/roughly 60% of adults surveyed had at least heard of Pope Leo’s diagnosis. At the same time, just one in four are familiar with the current lung cancer screening recommendations. The Pope’s cancer was found early by chance during exams for another reason, according to his surgeon. But most lung cancers are found at advanced stages. Only 28% of U.S. lung cancer cases are caught at an early stage, when the five-year survival rate is 65%, according to the American Lung Association.

Other key findings of the new poll include:

• Most Americans know who can get lung cancer, but not how deadly it is. Most respondents know it can occur in people who have never smoked (84%) and that screening can find it before it spreads (80%). But only 27% know it is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide.
• Few people know what the screening recommendations are. Three in four (74%) report being not familiar with current screening recommendations, including 51% who are not at all familiar. Even among people who have smoked for more than 20 years, 47% are not familiar. This finding is striking because these people are recommended for screening under National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines once they reach age 50.
• People are not having screening conversations with their doctors. Although 72% of Americans report seeing a primary care provider in the past year, only 14% say their doctor has discussed cancer screening options with them.
• Yet, they are ready for those conversations. Most (68%) say that finding lung cancer early, when there are more treatment options and better chances of survival, is an extremely or very convincing reason to talk with a provider. 
• Stigma is quieter than it looks, and it keeps people out of the conversation. Only 8% of respondents fully endorse the idea that people with lung cancer caused it through their own choices, but almost one in three do not reject it. In addition to that 8%, another 26% say that view describes them “somewhat.” Among people who smoke or used to smoke, 35% say they at least somewhat do not like sharing their smoking history with health care providers, rising to 46% of people who smoke now. That history is what determines eligibility for screening.

Why it Matters

“People realize the importance of catching lung cancer early. Sixty-eight percent told us that’s a convincing reason to talk to their doctor about screening. But, about half the people diagnosed with lung cancer wouldn’t qualify for screening today, and fewer than 1 in 5 who do qualify get screened,” said Nadia Litterman, PhD, executive director of the Susan Wojcicki Foundation. “We need to do more to raise awareness and increase uptake of existing screening, while advancing the science to identify more people who could benefit from early detection.”

“Stigma shows up as silence. Nearly half of people who smoke today say they at least somewhat dislike telling a clinician about their smoking history, and that conversation is the door to screening,” said Lisa Carter-Bawa, PhD, MPH, APRN, director of the Cancer Prevention Precision Control Institute at Hackensack Meridian Health and a Susan Wojcicki Foundation Community Advisory Committee member. “The people at highest risk still do not know the screening recommendations, and stigma helps keep it that way. Early detection, offered without blame, is how we reach them.”

“Most Americans already know lung cancer can affect people who have never smoked,” said Mallory Newall, senior vice president of U.S. Public Affairs at Ipsos. “What’s missing is the next layer of information: fewer than 1 in 10 know secondhand smoke isn’t the second-leading cause of lung cancer, and most aren’t sure whether it’s usually caught early. This poll clearly signals the need to amp up education and awareness-raising efforts for the American public.” 

New YouTube Channel to Raise Awareness

Education and awareness are a core pillar of the Foundation’s strategy. Today, to mark Lung Cancer Awareness Month, the Foundation is launching its own YouTube channel and educational hub. The goal is to reach more people and change the conversation around lung cancer by pairing credible science with accessible content that meets people where they are.

The channel debuts with a launch trailer featuring some of YouTube’s biggest creators, including MrBeast, Mark Rober, Lilly Singh, Hank Green, Cleo Abram, Cassey Ho, Rhett & Link, and others, who together reach more than 800 million subscribers. Many had personal connections to Susan Wojcicki, the Foundation’s namesake and YouTube’s CEO for nine years. The creators join leading experts, advocates, and the lung cancer community, including GO2 for Lung Cancer and renowned researcher Dr. Charles Swanton, to welcome the Foundation, share advice, reflect on Susan’s legacy, and transform how people talk about lung cancer.

The channel will feature different content including creator collaborations, long-form features, and quick shorts on the latest science and news. The launch also includes a collaboration with creator Marina Mogilko (Silicon Valley Girl) for a sit-down interview with Susan’s family about the Foundation’s mission.

To guide this work over the long term, the Foundation has formed a Creator Advisory Council, which joins its Scientific and Community Advisory Committees. Creator Advisory Council members include: Matt and Stephanie Patrick, Mark Vins, Marina Mogilko, sWooZie, Stephanie Chuang, and Jake Roper.

The full poll is available here.

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@susanwfoundation 

Educational Hub: https://susanwfoundation.org/change-the-conversation 

About the Susan Wojcicki Foundation
Founded in 2026, the Susan Wojcicki Foundation is dedicated to the early detection and prevention of lung cancer. The Foundation carries forward the legacy of Susan Wojcicki, the former CEO of YouTube, who was diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer in 2022. It brings together leaders in science, technology, and healthcare to address one of the deadliest and most underdiagnosed cancers. Through research funding, strategic partnerships, and public awareness, the Foundation is working to fundamentally shift how lung cancer is detected, understood, and ultimately prevented. Learn more at susanwfoundation.org. 

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. 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 margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2.2 percentage points.  

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