What types of lung cancer are there?

What types of lung cancer are there?
There are two main types of lung cancer: small cell lung cancer and non–small cell lung cancer. Each looks different under a microscope and grows, spreads, and is treated differently.

Non–small cell lung cancer is more common than small cell lung cancer. More than 80% of all lung cancers are non–small cell cancer. It generally grows and spreads more slowly than small cell lung cancer. 4

About 20% of lung cancers are small cell. This type of cancer grows very rapidly and in more than 80% of people has already spread to other organs in the body by the time it is diagnosed. Small cell lung cancer is more strongly related to smoking than non–small cell cancer. 4