In memory
Peter Jennings' Public Lung Cancer Diagnosis and What Lung Cancer Really Is
ABC anchor Peter Jennings told viewers about his lung cancer on the air. Here's what lung cancer is — and why his openness mattered.
Please note: this page is educational only — it is not medical advice, and it does not speculate about anyone’s health beyond reliable public reporting. For questions about your own health, talk with your healthcare team.
On screen
Peter Jennings anchored ABC's World News Tonight for more than two decades. In April 2005, he shared with viewers, in a taped message, that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer and would begin treatment. He spoke openly and acknowledged that he had been a smoker in earlier years. Jennings died a few months later, on August 7, 2005, at age 67. His willingness to tell his own audience about his diagnosis was widely noted as an act of candor at a difficult time.
The reality
According to the National Cancer Institute, lung cancer includes two main types: non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. It develops when cells in the lungs grow out of control. The NCI notes that smoking causes most lung cancers, though nonsmokers can develop the disease as well.
Jennings' openness about his own smoking history put a familiar, trusted face on facts the NCI still emphasizes: tobacco is the leading cause of lung cancer, and reducing tobacco use is central to prevention.
What the story gets right — and what to remember
Jennings shared his diagnosis plainly and without drama, and that is worth remembering. His story reflects a real link between smoking and lung cancer, but it is one person's experience, not a rule for everyone. Lung cancer can also affect people who never smoked, and the course of the disease varies widely from person to person. A public figure's story is a prompt to learn and to talk with a doctor — not a diagnosis.
Awareness, screening & prevention
The NCI notes that smoking causes most lung cancers, so avoiding or quitting tobacco is an important step for lung health. The NCI also provides information on lung cancer screening using low-dose CT scans, generally offered to people at higher risk, often due to a history of heavy smoking. Whether screening is appropriate depends on the individual, so it is a conversation to have with a healthcare team. For those who want to quit smoking, the NCI points to resources such as Smokefree.gov.
Turning a story into something useful
Peter Jennings informed people for a living, and even his diagnosis became a kind of public information. Learning the basic facts about lung cancer, sharing them, and raising questions with a healthcare team are all constructive ways to respond. Free cancer education helps that information travel further, and supporting it keeps clear, reliable answers within everyone's reach.
Questions to ask a healthcare team
- Am I at higher risk for lung cancer, and would screening make sense for me?
- What help is available for quitting smoking?
- What lung or breathing symptoms should I get checked out?
- Where can I find reliable, plain-language information about lung cancer?