Types of Lung Cancer

What are the types of lung cancer?

There are two main types of lung cancer:

1. Non-small cell lung cancer is much more common, accounting for about 85% of all lung cancer cases
2. Small cell lung cancer is rarer—about 15% of lung cancer diagnoses—but it can spread more quickly than other types of lung cancer

Small cell lung cancer

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive type of lung cancer. In about 5% of patients with SCLC, SCLC is combined with features of NSCLC. Such cases are generally treated similarly to classical SCLC.

Learn more about the symptoms of small cell lung cancer and how small cell lung cancer is diagnosed and treated.

Non-small cell lung cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer overall and the most common lung cancer in people who have smoked. It may also develop in individuals who have smoked very little or not at all. NSCLC has several subtypes based upon appearance under the microscope (i.e., histology), including:

• Adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer that originates in glandular cells, which are cells that produce and secrete mucus, digestive juices, and other fluids
• Squamous cell carcinoma, a type of NSCLC that starts in the squamous cells lining the airways, often near the center of the lung
• Adenosquamous carcinoma, a type of cancer that is characterized by the presence of both glandular-like (adeno) and squamous cell cancer cells
• Sarcomatoid carcinoma, a type of cancer that exhibits characteristics of both epithelial (carcinoma) and mesenchymal (sarcoma) tumors

More recently, NSCLC has also been further classified based upon mutations within the DNA of the tumor (i.e., genomic alterations).

Find out more about the symptoms of NSCLC and how non-small cell lung cancer is treated.

Other types of lung cancers

Lung nodules

Lung nodules are small clumps of cells found in the lungs but aren't necessarily cancerous. They can be benign, precancerous, early lung cancers, or cancerous tissue spread from another part of the body. The larger a nodule is, the more likely it is cancerous.

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is an extremely rare form of cancer—only 0.16% of all cancer cases in the U.S. are mesothelioma—that usually but not always results from asbestos exposure. It can develop in several different places in the chest, including the lining of the lungs and heart.

Carcinoid tumors

Carcinoid tumors are another rare type of tumor that can develop in multiple places, including the lungs or abdomen. However, it's more common for them to develop in the stomach or intestines.

They typically grow slowly and are usually treated with surgery.

Metastatic cancers

Metastatic cancer is cancer that has spread from its original location to other parts of the body. Metastatic lung cancer, for example, can spread to distant organs like the heart or brain but will still be either small cell or non-small cell lung cancer.

In the same way, cancer that starts somewhere else in the body and metastasizes to the lungs doesn't become a type of lung cancer. For example, colorectal cancer that spreads to the lungs is still colorectal cancer.

Our approach to lung cancer care

At the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute, you receive care from an experienced team dedicated to diagnosing and treating lung cancer. Together, they develop a personalized treatment plan based on the type and stage of cancer, genetic and molecular findings, and your overall health and goals.