What is small cell lung cancer?

Primary cancers of the lung are generally divided into two groups: non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer.  The term “primary” means that the cancer originated from the cells in the lung rather than spreading to the lung from another organ. Small cell lung cancer is the less common type, making up about 15% of all primary lung cancers.  Small cell lung cancer tends to spread more rapidly than non-small cell lung cancer, and it is usually treated with chemotherapy rather than surgery.  This is in contrast to non-small cell lung cancer, where surgical treatment is preferred if the tumor is detected at an early stage.       

Small cell lung cancer is the lesser common type of two types of lung cancer, the other being non-small cell lung cancer. In small cell lung cancer, cancer cells (also known as malignant cells) grow very quickly in the tissue of the lungs. Small cell lung cancer may form tumors in the lungs themselves or in the bronchi, the two major airways leading from the trachea to either lung. Small cell lung cancers are usually more aggressive and can grow rapidly. They can also spread to other sites in the body by the time of diagnosis. They are sensitive to chemotherapy and radiation and recently surgery is considered to have a role in the early stage of this disease.