What is Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)?
SCLC differs from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in several ways, including where the cancer begins, how the cancer cells look, and the way the cancer progresses.
SCLC is sometimes called “oat cell cancer,” because the cells are oval-shaped and smaller than healthy cells. SCLC grows and spreads more aggressively than NSCLC and usually begins in the major airways in the center of the chest that leads to the lungs. It is also common for SCLC to have already spread at the time of diagnosis.
10-15%
of all lung cancer cases are SCLC
What are the stages of SCLC?
There are 2 stages of SCLC:
- Limited-stage small cell lung cancer (LS‑SCLC) means that the cancer is located in one lung or is confined to one side of the chest
- Extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES‑SCLC) means that cancer has spread from one lung to the other, to lymph nodes on the other side of the chest, or to other parts of the body
Approximately 70 or 75%
of people are initially diagnosed with ES‑SCLC
Risk factors
Some risk factors for small cell lung cancer include the following:
Current or past tobacco use
Exposure to secondhand smoke
Please note that the risk factors listed above are not exhaustive.
