This article discusses the results of the first Cancer Barometer, a survey designed to quantify beliefs and opinions regarding cancer, as well as attitudes and behaviors toward risk factors. It outlines some of the key findings from a national survey conducted in 2005 among more than 4,000 people. Cancer remains the disease considered most serious, far ahead of AIDS and cardiovascular diseases; 86% of respondents believe it can affect anyone and that many cancers can now be cured; 61% think that patients undergo treatments without being able to give their opinion. Many tobacco or alcohol users place the danger thresholds just above their own levels of use, and a quarter of the population believes that tanning protects against the sun. For major risk factors such as sun exposure, alcohol consumption, or smoking, the carcinogenic risk is known to almost everyone, but this consensus often masks deeply held beliefs that downplay this risk. These beliefs can support behaviors that are harmful to long-term health. Furthermore, the proliferation of perceived risks can also lead to a form of risk denial. The prevalence of beliefs that deny or downplay the carcinogenic risk associated with certain behaviors calls for continued efforts to educate the public about cancer in order to guide people toward preventive practices and to limit the isolation and stigma that those affected sometimes experience. Risk denial does not necessarily reflect a lack of information; it often resembles a cognitive construct that lends coherence to behaviors and beliefs.