Report · Culture

44% of Americans think their cancer risk is average

Reading

A plurality of Americans (44%) think their own cancer risk is about average compared with others their same age and gender, according to a Verasight survey conducted Aug. 20-25, 2025.

About a quarter rate their risk above average (24%), including 5% who see it as much higher, while one-in-five put it below average (20%), including 7% who say much lower. Another 12% aren't sure.

Topline

single choice

Topline distribution

44% of Americans think their cancer risk is average.

Relative to other people your same age and gender, how high is your own cancer risk?

  • About average 44.0%
  • Higher than average 18.8%
  • Lower than average 13.4%
  • Don't know 11.8%
  • Much lower than average 6.6%
  • Much higher than average 5.5%

2025 · base n 1,000 · +/- 3.1%

ASA Omnibus Survey

View source

Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Field dates
2025-08-20 → 2025-08-25
Base (unweighted)
1,000
Margin of error
+/- 3.1%
Module
ASA Omnibus Survey

Source

Citation

ASA Omnibus Survey, fielded August 20-25, 2025, N=1,000 United States adults, +/- 3.1%.

https://reports.verasight.io/r/asa-2025

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. When a wave report is published, its field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that report.

Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting.
Population
US adults age 18+.
Sample design
Surveys are run as omnibus or single-topic waves. Omnibus waves are split into modules with their own respondent set, typically around one thousand respondents per module.
Field window
Each wave specifies its own field dates. Most omnibus waves field across roughly two weeks.
Weighting
Per-module weighting to CPS targets including age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status.
Partisanship benchmark
Pew Research Center's NPORS benchmarking surveys, three-year running average.
Vote benchmark
2024 presidential vote population benchmarks.
Margin of error
Typically about plus or minus 3.4 to 3.6 percent per module at standard module sizes. Question-level MoE is recomputed when a base shrinks materially below the module baseline.
Reporting
The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io. Verified legacy reports remain on their original hosts, and unpublished reports are marked pending.
Transparency
Verasight is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research Transparency Initiative.

The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io; older reports may remain on verified legacy hosts.