A new study has revealed that most of the people across America tend to underestimate the fatality of lung cancer, but the misconceptions that Africa-Americans harbour about the disease might be especially hazardous to their own health.

Results of the study show that there is a vast majority of Americans adults who do not know that over three-fourths of the people diagnosed with lung cancer die within five years of the diagnosis.

The researchers, however, discovered that African-Americans are more likely to have wrong ideas about other facts about the killer illness that could severely interfere with the prevention and treatment.

"We observed that all races and sexes grossly underestimate the lethality of lung cancer. Black patients appeared to be more likely to expect more symptoms, to be more reluctant to seek care because of fear of disease, to be confused about preventive recommendations, and to doubt the association of smoking with lifestyle", the study authors wrote.

Among other findings, the most important was that African-Americans were less likely to agree that lung cancer is a direct result of behaviour or lifestyle.