Types of Lung Cancer

There are two main types of lung cancer: non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer is more common and spreads more slowly than small cell lung cancer. There are three primary types of non-small cell lung cancer: squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and large cell carcinoma. Types of small cell lung cancer include small cell carcinoma, mixed small cell/large cell carcinoma, and combined small cell carcinoma. Metastatic cancer in the lungs and mesothelioma are not types of lung cancer.

 

Types of Lung Cancer: An Overview

There are two major types of lung cancer -- non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. Each type of lung cancer looks different under a microscope, grows and spreads in different ways, and is treated differently.
 
Cancer from other areas of the body can also spread to the lungs; however, such cases of the disease are not types of lung cancer.
 

Types of Lung Cancer: Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer is more common than small cell lung cancer, and it generally grows and spreads more slowly. There are three main types of non-small cell lung cancer. They are named for the type of cells in which the cancer develops:
 
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Squamous cell carcinoma is a type of lung cancer that begins in squamous cells, which are thin, flat cells that look like fish scales. This type of lung cancer is also known as epidermoid carcinoma.
 
Adenocarcinoma
Adenocarcinoma is a type of lung cancer that begins in the cells that line the alveoli and make substances such as mucus.
(Types of Lung Cancer Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD