What Is Small Cell Lung Cancer?

This content has been reviewed and approved by

Chandra P. Belani, MD
Deputy Director, Penn State Cancer Institute
Miriam Beckner Professor of Medicine
Penn State University School of Medicine

If you've received a diagnosis of cancer in your lungs, it is important to remember that you are not alone. Lung cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed form of cancer for both men and women in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Lung cancer will account for an estimated 15 percent of all new cancer cases in men and 14 percent in women in 2008, according to the ACS.

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Small cell lung cancer is one of the two most common types of lung cancer. The other is non-small cell lung cancer. Small cancer grows more rapidly than non-small cell cancer. Despite a rapid response to chemotherapy (drugs), there is a high chance of reccurrence, especially if it has spread beyond the confines of the chest.

Small cell lung cancer is sometimes called oat cell cancer because the cancer cells may look like oats when viewed under a microscope. Small cell lung cancers are found mainly in smokers or former smokers. They account for about 13 percent of all lung cancers, and there has been a recent decline in the overall incidence. Unlike non-small cell lung cancer, small cell cancer can spread very quickly throughout the body via the blood and lymphatic system.

Smoking tobacco products accounts for approximately 90 percent of lung cancer cases. If not caught in an early stage, this cancer is particularly difficult to treat successfully.

Lung cancer is a growth of abnormal cells that usually starts in the lining of the bronchi (the main airways of the lungs). It can also begin in the trachea, bronchioles, or alveoli. It is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women. Lung cancers are believed to develop over a period of many years.

It is important to find out what kind of lung cancer you have. The different types of carcinomas may involve different regions of the lung. They may cause different symptoms. The treatment you receive depends on the type of lung cancer you have.