Types of lung cancer

With Lung Cancer their are two main forms of primary lung cancer which behave and respond to treatment in different waysdifferently. They are:

• small cell lung cancer (SCLC)
• non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

About 1 in 6 lung cancers are small cell, the rest are non-small cell.

Non-small cell cancer

There are three main types of non-small cell lung cancer. In some cases it is not possible to tell which type someone has. Mainly because when the cells are looked at under a microscope they are not fully developed enough. The three types are:

Squamous cell carcinoma, which is the commonest type of lung cancer. It develops in the cells which line the airways. This type of lung cancer is usually caused by smoking. (so STOP NOW)

Adenocarcinoma, which develops from the cells which produce mucus (phlegm) in the lining of the airways.

Large cell carcinoma gets its name from the large, rounded cells that are seen when they are examined under the microscope. It is sometimes known as undifferentiated carcinoma.

This lung cancer is a less common type of cancer that affects the covering of the lungs. It is a cancer of the membrane which covers the surface of the lungs and lines the inside of the chest. People who have been exposed to asbestos usualy have this type of cancer.