Radiation Therapy for Lung Cancers

Types of Lung Cancer

There are two main types of lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. These names refer to how a cancer looks under the microscope.

• Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common type of lung cancer and accounts for 80 percent of cases. There are different types of non-small cell lung cancer, including squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, bronchioalveolar carcinoma and large cell undifferentiated carcinoma.
• Small cell lung cancer is less common and accounts for 20 percent of cases. Although the cells are small, they multiply quickly and can form large tumors that may spread throughout the body. This type of lung cancer is almost always due to smoking.