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Medical Information for Patients and Caregivers

Learn about Lung Cancer

What is lung cancer?

“Lung cancer” is not a single disease; rather, there are different types of lung cancer depending on what part of the lungs the cancer first started.1,2 Importantly, these different types of lung cancer may behave differently from each other, and this may impact how you and your doctor may want to treat the cancer. For example, knowing your lung cancer type might help determine your outlook (or your prognosis) as some lung cancers grow much more quickly than others and may be more likely to spread to distant parts of the body (metastasize).3 And knowing your lung cancer type can help determine the best treatment options, as different types of lung cancer may respond better to certain treatments.3

Never use medication from another patient with lung cancer. That medication was prescribed specifically for that patient’s unique tumor type and characteristics, which would be different from yours, and you may end up causing more harm than help for your health.

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Healthcare providers often group lung cancers into 3 major types1:

  • small cell lung cancer (SCLC)
  • non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
  • other (more uncommon)

You can learn more about each group below.

 
  • Small cell lung cancers are named after how the cells look under a microscope. This type of cancer is most often found in patients who smoked cigarettes.1
  • Treatment is usually chemotherapy1
  • There are 2 sub-types of small cell lung cancer1:
    • Small cell carcinoma
    • Mixed small cell/large cell lung cancer (or combined small cell lung cancer)

 

 
  • Non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) are a group of cancers that look and behave differently from small cell lung cancer. These tend to grow and spread more slowly than small cell lung cancer. Most patients (around 85%) with lung cancer have a type of NSCLC.1
  • There are 3 sub-types of NSCLC, depending on how they may appear under a microscope1:

    • Adenocarcinoma – These cancers come from the cells that make up the glands in the lungs
    • Squamous cell carcinoma – This cancer often forms in the middle of the lungs, next to air tubes (or bronchi)
    • Large cell carcinoma – this type of lung cancer tends to grow and spread faster than the other two types

 

 
  • Some cancers are not very common and do not behave the same way as small cell lung cancer or non-small cell lung cancer1
  • One example is carcinoid, which grows from a special cell type called neuroendocrine cells. These tumors grow slower than more common types of lung cancer1

 

In addition to where the lung cancer came from, healthcare providers might also classify lung cancers by the type of genetic mutations they may have. These “biological markers,” or “biomarkers” can provide additional information to healthcare providers to better predict a patient’s outcome and their response to different treatments. 

Every patient’s journey is unique.  Read inspiring personal accounts from people affected by cancer, including lung cancer,  and the ways they've found to cope at CancerCare:

https://www.cancercare.org/stories

Browse the sections below to learn more about lung cancer:

Patient resources

Additional patient resources

CancerCare provides free, professional support services for people affected by lung cancer, as well as lung cancer treatment information and additional resources, including financial and co-pay assistance. For more information, please visit: https://www.cancercare.org/diagnosis/lung_cancer

 

Caregiver resources

References

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  1. Types of Lung Cancer. American Lung Association. Updated September 17, 2024. Accessed November 11, 2024. https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/lung-cancer/basics/lung-cancer-types
  2. About Lung Cancer: Types of lung cancer. Canadian Lung Association. Accessed November 11, 2024. https://www.lung.ca/lung-health/lung-diseases/lung-cancer/about-lung-cancer-types-lung-cancer
  3. What Are the Types of Lung Cancer Treatment? American Lung Association. Updated September 26, 2024. Accessed November 11, 2024. https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/lung-cancer/treatment/types-of-treatment
  4. What Is Lung Cancer? American Cancer Society. Published January 12, 2023.Updated January 29, 2024. Accessed November 11, 2024. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/lung-cancer/about/what-is.html

The information on this webpage is provided by EMD Serono Medical Affairs, who makes it their mission to provide unbiased medical information to healthcare providers, patients, and caregivers. Always seek the guidance of your healthcare provider. 

To report a side effect from your EMD Serono medication, please call 1-800-283-8088, ext. 5563. To report any other problems with your EMD Serono medication, please call 1-800-283-8088, ext. 2020. You may also report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

EMD Serono is the Healthcare business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, in the United States and Canada.

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© 2024 Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

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