Types of lung cancer
This page tells you about types of lung cancer. There are important differences between lung cancer that started in the lungs and cancer that spreads into the lung from another part of the body. There is information on this page about
Cancer that started in the lungs (primary lung cancer)
There are several different types of primary lung cancer. These are divided into two main types called small cell lung cancer and non small cell lung cancer.
Small cell lung cancer accounts for about 20 out of every 100 lung cancers. It is so called because the cancer cells are small.
There are three types of non-small cell lung cancer. These are grouped together because they behave in a similar way. They respond to treatment differently to small cell lung cancer. The three types are squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma. Sometimes it’s not possible to tell which of these you have.
Cancer that spread into the lungs (secondary lung cancer)
Secondary cancer is cancer that has spread from somewhere else in the body. The choice of cancer treatment depends on where the cancer started. To get the right information you need to look at the section which relates to where the cancer started. For example, if you had breast cancer which has spread to the lungs, then you should look at the section on breast cancer.
Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that affects the covering of the lung (the pleura). It is often caused by exposure to asbestos. It is very different to lung cancer. There is a ‘mesothelioma’ section on CancerHelp UK.
Cancer that starts in the lung is called primary lung cancer. There are several different types and these are divided into two main groups
If you are looking for information about lung cancer and you (or the person with cancer) had another type of cancer in the past, you need to check with a doctor whether the cancer is really lung cancer, or whether it is another type of cancer that has spread to the lung. It is important to know this so that you can find the correct treatment information.
Small cell lung cancer
About 20 out of every 100 lung cancers diagnosed are this type. Small cell lung cancer is called this because the cancer cells are small cells that are mostly filled with the nucleus (the control centre of cells). You may hear it called 'oat cell' cancer. This type of cancer is usually always caused by smoking. It is very rare for someone who has never smoked to develop it. Small cell lung cancer often spreads quite early on and so doctors often suggest chemotherapy treatment rather than surgery.
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 in a different way to small cell lung cancer. The three types are
Occasionally it is not possible to work out which type of non small cell lung cancer you have. If the cells are very undeveloped, it just may not be possible to tell. Undeveloped cancer cells are known as undifferentiated cells. So you will be told you have undifferentiated non small cell lung cancer. This will not make any difference to your treatment, as all non small cell lung cancers are treated in the same way.
Squamous cell cancer
Squamous cell cancer is the most common type of lung cancer. It develops from the cells that line the airways and it is often found near the centre of the lung in one of the main airways (the left or right bronchus). This type of cancer is often due to smoking. The number of people developing squamous cell lung cancer is going down in the UK.
Adenocarcinoma
Adenocarcinoma also develops from the cells that line the airways. But it develops from a particular type of cell that produces mucus (phlegm). It is often found in the outer areas of the lungs. The number of people developing adenocarcinoma is increasing and it may soon become more common in the UK than squamous cell lung cancer.
Large cell carcinoma
Large cell lung cancer is called this because the cells look large and rounded under a microscope. This type of lung cancer tends to grow quite quickly.
Cancer that has spread from somewhere else in the body is called secondary cancer. Quite a few different types of cancer can spread to the lung, including breast cancer and bowel cancer.
If you have secondary cancer you need to look at the section about where the cancer started. For example, if you had breast cancer which has spread to the lungs, then you need to look at the section about breast cancer. It is important to know what you are dealing with so that you can find the right information. The choice of cancer treatment depends on where the cancer started. When cancer spreads to the lung from the breast, the cells are breast cancer cells, not lung cancer cells. So they respond to breast cancer treatments. And cancer that has spread from the bowel should respond to bowel cancer treatments.
Mesothelioma is another rare type of cancer which affects the covering of the lung (the pleura). It is often caused by exposure to asbestos. It is very different to lung cancer. There is a whole section about mesothelioma in CancerHelp UK.
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