What are the different types of lung cancer?
There are two major types of lung cancer: small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Small cell lung cancer accounts for approximately 25 percent of all lung cancers and exhibits rapid cell growth and spread. It is treated primarily with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Non-small cell cancer is much more common, accounting for 75 percent of all lung cancers and is treated primarily with surgery and radiotherapy. Non-small cell lung cancers consist of three major types: squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma. Of these three, squamous cell lung cancer is more responsive to radiation therapy.
• Answer: There are two main types of lung cancer: non-small-cell lung cancer and small-cell lung cancer. Non-small-cell lung cancer accounts for about 80% of lung cancers. They include a heterogeneous group of cancers that grow and spread less rapidly than small-cell lung cancer. By contrast, small-cell lung cancer accounts for 20% of all lung cancers. Although the cells are small, they multiply quickly and form large tumors that can spread throughout the body. Smoking is almost always the cause of small-cell lung cancer.
The type of cells found in a tumor determines the kind of cancer. The two main types of lung cancer are small cell and nonsmall cell. The terms small cell and nonsmall cell refer to the type of cell a doctor can see under the microscope, not to the size of the tumor. There are more than a dozen different kinds of lung cancer. The following types of lung cancer cause about 90% of all lung cancer cases: • Small cell carcinoma (also called oat cell carcinoma): usually starts in one of the larger breathing tubes, grows fairly rapidly, and is likely to be large by the time of diagnosis. • Nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC): is made up of the following three subtypes: • Epidermoid carcinoma (also called squamous cell carcinoma) : usually starts in one of the larger breathing tubes and grows relatively slowly. The size of these tumors can range from very small to quite large. • Adenocarcinoma: starts growing near the outside surface of the lung and may vary in both size and growth rate. Some s
Primary lung cancer is a disease that starts in the lungs. There are three main types: Small cell lung cancer: This is also called ‘Oat Cell’ lung cancer because of the distinctive shape of the cells. It is a rapidly growing cancer that spreads very early to other organs. It is generally found in people who are heavy smokers, and is responsible for 20% to 25% of all lung cancer cases. Non-small cell lung cancer: There are three types of non-small cell lung cancer. These are grouped together because they behave in a similar way and respond to treatment differently to small cell lung cancer. The three types are: squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma. Squamous cell cancer is the commonest type of lung cancer, accounting for 33% of all lung cancer cases. It develops from the cells that line the airways. It often begins in the bronchi and may remain in the chest without spreading for longer periods than the other types. Adenocarcinoma also develops from the cells
