Whats the main difference between non small and small cell lung cancer?
Question by Will S: Whats the main difference between non small and small cell lung cancer?
From what i’ve seen, i’ve come to believe that non-small is when the cancer is stil relatively localized? and small cell is when its spreading rapidly already by the time it is diagonosed…. am i correct? I need to know this for a health project, so thanks for any answers..
Best answer:
Answer by a_silverdevil
No, they are two different types of lung cancer. Both are bad, but small cell lung cancer has a very bad prognosis, which is what I think you are being confused about. It has little to do with localization, because you can still have diffusely metastasized non-small cell cancer. In general, small cell cancer is rapidly progressive and by the time it is discovered by doctors, it has already metastasized to other parts of the body.
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You are right.
Lung cancers are usually divided into two main groups that account for about 95% of all cases.
* The division into groups is based on the type of cells that make up the cancer.
* The two main types of lung cancer are characterized by the cell size of the tumor when viewed under the microscope. They are called small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). NSCLC includes several subtypes of tumors.
* SCLCs are less common, but they grow more quickly and are more likely to metastasize than NSCLCs. Often, SCLCs have already spread to other parts of the body when the cancer is diagnosed.
* About 5% of lung cancers are of rare cell types, including carcinoid tumor, lymphoma, and others.
http://www.cancertreatment-wecareindia.com/lung_cancer.html
Correct. Virtually all small-cell lung cancers have metastasized (spreading of cancer to other locations/organs) by the time of diagnosis. This makes it difficult to treat surgically, so chemotherapy, with or without radiation will be the treatment of choice. Non-small-cell lung cancers on the other hand, usually respond poorly to chemotherapy.
Non-small cell lung cancers generally have a better prognosis than small-cell lung cancers.
Here is some very straightforward information on non small cell lung cancer, and small cell lung cancer.
I hope you find this useful:
http://www.nowwhat.org.au/info/cancer-types/lung-cancer