Types of Lung Cancer

Lung cancer has 2 main types. Each type is categorized by how the cancer cells look under a microscope:

Non-small cell lung cancer »

• Squamous cell carcinoma
• Adenocarcinoma
• Bronchoalveolar carcinoma
• Large-cell undifferentiated carcinoma

Small cell lung cancer »

Other factors in diagnosis and treatment planning
There are additional considerations beyond type and subtype that affect recommendations your care team may make for treatment.

• Tumor size offers clues about how quickly the tumor may have developed and how likely it is to spread beyond the lung. Larger cancers are more likely to progress to the lymph nodes.
• Grade assigns a numeric value to describe how abnormal the cancer cells appear under the microscope. The the higher the number the more aggressive the cancer is. Lower numbers are usually is associated with a slower growth