Lung Cancer Information: Types |
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There are two major types of lung cancer:
- small cell lung cancer (SCLC)
- non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
If the cancer displays the characteristics of both types it is called mixed small cell/large cell carcinoma.
Other types of lung cancer
Other tumors can form in the lungs in addition to the two main types of lung cancer (SCLC and NSCLC). Some of these tumors are non-cancerous (benign). Carcinoid tumors of the lung make up less than 5% of lung tumors. Most are slow-growing tumors called typical carcinoid tumors and are generally cured through surgery. Although some typical carcinoid tumors can spread, they tend to have a better prognosis than SCLC or NSCLC. Cancers that intermediate between the benign carcinoid and SCLC are known as atypical carcinoid tumors.
There are other, very rare, lung tumors such as adenoid cystic carcinomas, hamartomas, lymphomas, and sarcomas. These tumors are treated differently from the more common lung cancers.
