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Lung cancer

 Lung cancer is a form of cancer — an out-of-control growth of abnormal cells — that typically starts in the cells lining the bronchi (tubes that move air into and out of the lungs) or other parts of the lungs, according to the American Cancer Society. (1)

Lung cancer is by far the leading reason men and women die from cancer in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute, which estimates that the disease accounts for around 25 percent of cancer-related fatalities. (2)

Types of Lung Cancer

There are two main types of lung cancer:

  • Non-small-cell lung cancer
  • Small-cell lung cancer

Types of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

From 80 to 85 percent of people with lung cancer have non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to the American Cancer Society. (1)

There are three main forms of NSCLC, according to the National Institutes of Health: (3)

  • Adenocarcinomas The most common form of NSCLC, often found in an outer area of a lung
  • Squamous-Cell Carcinomas Usually found in the center of a lung next to a bronchus
  • Large-Cell Carcinomas Can be located anywhere in the lung

Types of Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for around 10 to 15 percent of all lung cancers in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. (1)

Small-cell lung cancer tends to be more aggressive than non-small-cell lung cancer, according to LungCancer.org. (4)

Learn More About Types of Lung Cancer

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Learn More About Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Common Questions & Answers

What are the stages of lung cancer?
At stage 0, the tumor is only found in the top layers of the cells lining the air passages and hasn’t invaded other lung tissues. Stage 1 involves tumors that are small and not spread to the lymph nodes. In stages 2 and 3 the tumors could be larger or spread to the lymph nodes — it depends on the size of the tumor and which lymph nodes are involved.
What are the different types of lung cancer?
What are the signs and symptoms of lung cancer?
What are lymph nodes?
How do lymph nodes relate to lung cancer?

Stages of Lung Cancer

After doctors have diagnosed lung cancer and identified the type, the next step is staging — ascertaining the size and extent of the tumor and determining whether the cancer has spread and, if so, how far.

Staging is an important part of determining treatment. Different types of lung cancer are staged differently.

Main Stages of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

NSCLC may proceed from stage 0 to stage 4 lung cancer, with many substages. In general, the higher the number, the more advanced the disease.

The breakdown here simplifies the criteria: (5,6)

  • Stage 0 The cancer is very small and hasn’t spread beyond the inner lining of the lungs. It’s sometimes known as “carcinoma in situ.”
  • Stage 1 The cancer is only located in the lungs and hasn’t spread to any lymph nodes. The tumor is smaller than 4 centimeters (cm) across — about 1.5 inches.
  • Stage 2 The cancer is larger than 4 cm or has spread to nearby lymph nodes.
  • Stage 3 The cancer is larger than 7 cm (about 3 inches) or it has grown large and spread to the lymph nodes in the middle of the chest.
  • Stage 4 The cancer has spread to both lungs, to fluid surrounding the lung or the heart, or to more distant sites in the body, such as the brain, bones, and liver.

Main Stages of Small-Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)

Small-cell lung cancer is generally divided into two stages, according to the American Cancer Society: (7)

  • Limited Stage The cancer is only on one side of the chest. If lymph nodes are affected, they also are typically on that side of the chest.
  • Extensive Stage The cancer has spread widely throughout the lung, to the other lung, to lymph nodes on both sides of the chest, or to other parts of the body. The majority of people with SCLC have extensive disease when diagnosed.

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