Small Cell Lung Cancer Overview

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among Americans, accounting for almost a third of all cancer deaths. Lung cancer is cancer that usually starts in the lining of the bronchi. [20]

Lung cancers are generally divided into 2 types:

• Small cell lung cancer (SCLC), sometimes called oat cell cancer because the cancer cells may look like oats when viewed under a microscope, grows rapidly and quickly spreads to other organs.
• Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is more common than small cell lung cancer.

Small cell lung cancer accounts for only about 10% to 15% of all lung cancer, but it is generally more aggressive and fast-growing compared to non-small cell lung cancer. [20,30] Small cell lung cancer is most common in current or past smokers, but can also be caused by environmental risk factors such as exposure to radon and air pollution. [20]

This section primarily focuses on SCLC. For more information on non-small cell lung cancer, visit the American Cancer Society Web site at www.cancer.org.

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