The two main types of lung cancer

Lung cancer is mainly divided into two types based on treatment: small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. These two types have similarities, but also differences:

1. Small cell lung cancer

Small cell lung cancer grows rapidly, easily metastasizes and spreads, and is sensitive to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. After treatment relief, most cases relapse within two years and become resistant to drugs after relapse. Two-thirds of patients have distant metastasis at the time of diagnosis. It can be divided into limited stage and widespread stage in clinical staging. The limited stage usually refers to the lesion being limited to a unilateral lung cancer without signs of malignant pleura or distant metastasis. In terms of treatment, it belongs to the early stage because it is sensitive to chemotherapy drugs. Chemotherapy combined with chest radiotherapy is often used to prevent rapid spread, and surgical treatment is not advocated. The widespread stage refers to the situation where the disease has exceeded the scope of the limited stage, the lesions have spread to the contralateral lung cancer or there has been distant metastasis, and a comprehensive treatment method is often used.

2. Non-small cell lung cancer

It is more common than small cell lung cancer, accounting for 75% of all lung cancer patients. Compared with small cell lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer grows slower, metastasizes slower, is insensitive to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and is mostly treated with surgery and Chinese herbal medicine for symptomatic treatment. According to the morphology of tumor cells, it can be divided into three main types:

Lung adenocarcinoma: It accounts for about 50% of non-small cell lung cancer and ranks first.

Squamous cell lung carcinoma: It accounts for about 30% of non-small cell lung cancer and ranks second.

Large cell lung cancer: has cells that are large and abnormal in appearance.