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LUNG CANCER CENTER
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CANCER CARE
Lung Cancer Center | About Lung Cancer
There are two main types of lung cancer: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC).
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
This is the most common type of lung cancer, accounting for 85 percent to 90 percent of lung cancers. There are several types of NSCLC.
- Squamous cell carcinoma begins in squamous cells, which are thin, flat cells that look like fish scales. This is also called epidermoid carcinoma.
- Large cell carcinoma may begin in several types of large cells.
- Adenocarcinoma begins in the cells that line the alveoli and make substances such as mucus.
- Bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma is a less aggressive subtype of adenocarcinoma.
Small Cell Lung Cancer
SCLC is a disease in which malignant (cancerous) cells form in lung tissue. It usually is an aggressive cancer, with two-thirds of patients having the disease spread to another part of the body at the time of diagnosis. There are several types of SCLC:
- Small cell carcinoma (oat cell cancer)
- Mixed small cell/large cell carcinoma
- Combined small cell carcinoma
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