Perception of Lung Cancer Risk: Impact of Smoking Status and Nicotine Dependence

Background The general population is nowadays well aware that tobacco smoking dramatically increases the risk of developing lung cancer. We hypothesized that a personal history of smoking and the level of nicotine dependence in current smokers may affect the perception of this risk among healthy individuals. Methods The fourth French nationwide observational survey, EDIFICE 4, was conducted by telephone among a representative sample of individuals ( N = 1602) aged between 40 and 75 years. Interviewees were asked about their smoking habits, perception of the risk of lung cancer, and nicotine dependence (Fagerström test). Results Regardless of their smoking status or level of nicotine dependence, the majority (96%) of our study population ( N = 1463) acknowledged that tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for lung cancer. For 34% of all respondents, smoking ≤ 10 cigarettes per day does not carry any risk of lung cancer. Only half the current smokers considered themselves to be at higher risk of lung cancer than the average-risk population. The majority of current cigarette smokers with a nicotine dependence considered themselves to be at higher risk for lung cancer while only 37% of non-nicotine-dependent individuals had the same perception ( P