Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor
Medically Reviewed on 7/15/2022
Doctor's Notes on Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is one of the two major types of lung cancer. It is named because the cells appear small and round under the microscope. The most common cause of lung cancer is tobacco smoking, which is estimated to be responsible for about 90% of cases of the disease. Other causes include passive exposure to cigarette smoke, radon gas exposure, air pollution, exposure to certain toxic chemicals, and the presence of certain lung diseases. SCLC is particularly thought to be related to smoking, which causes 99% of cases of SCLC.
Some people with lung cancer do not show symptoms when the cancer is first identified. When symptoms do occur, signs and symptoms associated with small cell lung cancer include
- a cough that may produce blood or bloody sputum,
- shortness of breath,
- wheezing, and
- chest pain.
What is the treatment of small cell lung cancer?
Treatment of small cell lung cancer is dependent upon the stage of cancer (limited- versus extensive-stage). Treatment options include one or more of the following:
- Surgery
- Chemotherapy
- Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy
- radiation therapy
- laser therapy
- medications to control pain and symptoms
- clinical trials to test new drugs or combinations of drugs
- palliative care to improve quality of life
Lung Cancer : Signs and Symptoms Quiz
QuestionLung cancer is a disease in which lung cells grow abnormally in an uncontrolled way.
See AnswerMust Read Articles:
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Can Lung Cancer Be Treated Successfully?
Successful treatment for lung cancer depends on the type of lung cancer, the size and location of the cancer, the stage of the cancer, and the patient’s overall health. The cure rate for early-stage lung cancer can be up to 90%. -
Can Stage 4 Lung Cancer Be Cured with Immunotherapy?
Stage 4 lung cancer (metastatic lung cancer) is lung cancer that has spread (metastasized) to other parts of the body outside the lungs. Immunotherapy is a lung cancer treatment. It does not cure stage 4 lung cancer, but it may help patients live longer. -
Can You Get Lung Cancer if You Never Smoked?
My mother died of lung cancer. She was a longtime smoker, which was clearly the cause of her cancer. I’ve never smoked, but is there still a chance I could get lung cancer? -
Chest Pain
Chest pain has a variety of noncardiac and cardiac causes, some of which can be very serious. Signs and symptoms of chest pain may include burning, squeezing, or heaviness in the chest. Atherosclerosis, angina, lung tumors, chest trauma, abdominal pain, and gastric reflux are just a few potential causes of chest pain. Chest pain is diagnosed by taking the patient history and performing a physical exam. Blood work, imaging tests, and an exercise stress test may be ordered. The treatment and prognosis of chest pain depends on the underlying cause. -
Chronic and Acute Coughs
A cough is a symptom of an underlying disease or condition. A chronic or persistent cough may signal certain lung conditions that should be evaluated by a healthcare professional. Common causes of coughs include infection, allergies, lung disease, medications, and GERD (reflux). Acute coughs are categorized as infectious or non-infectious. Chronic cough (persistent cough) have a variety of causes and should be evaluated by physician. Treatment of cough, acute cough, chronic or persistent cough depends on the cause of the cough. -
How Is Lung Cancer Prevented?
Lung cancer occurs when lung cells become abnormal and grow out of control. The best way to prevent lung cancer is to not smoke and to avoid secondhand smoke. You can also reduce your risk by avoiding exposure to radon, limiting or avoiding exposure to cancer-causing agents, and eating a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. -
How Long Does a Person Have to Live with Stage 4 Lung Cancer?
Stage 4 lung cancer usually has a poor prognosis. Life expectancy for lung cancer is given as five-year survival rates, or how many people will be alive five years after diagnosis. Five-year survival rates for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer are 6%, while five-year survival rates for metastatic small cell lung cancer are 3%. -
How Long Will You Live with Stage 3 Lung Cancer?
Most lung cancers are diagnosed at stage 3. Stage 3 non-small cell lung cancer 5-year survival rates (how many people will be alive 5 years after diagnosis) are 35%, while Stage 3 small cell lung cancer (which is more aggressive) 5-year survival rates are 16%. -
Is Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Aggressive?
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is less aggressive than small cell lung cancer. NSCLC tends to develop slowly and causes few or no symptoms until it is advanced. Life expectancy for non-small cell lung cancer depends on whether it has spread outside the lung. -
Lung Cancer Symptoms vs. Asthma
In lung cancer, lung cells exhibit abnormal and uncontrolled growth starting the lungs, while asthma is caused by inflammation and/or mucus that decreases or blocks the breathing passages (bronchioles) of the lungs. Asthma is usually an acute problem triggered by many different substances mainly affecting the lungs, while lung cancer is considered, once detected, an ongoing disease that can metastasize (spread) to other organs like the liver, bones or the brain. -
Lung Cancer Treatment
Medical therapy options for lung cancer include surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy. There are many types of chemotherapy drugs used for lung cancer, whether to help prevent relapse or for potentially life-prolonging palliative care. -
Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
Non-small-cell lung cancer is one of two types of lung cancer. Non-small-cell lung cancer symptoms and signs include coughing, shortness of breath, spitting blood, chest pain, pneumonia, and other respiratory symptoms. Treatment includes chemotherapy, radiation, and/or surgery. The prognosis and life expectancy are good if the disease is caught in the early stages. -
Pancoast Tumor (Lung Cancer)
Pancoast tumors are lung cancers that form at the top of the lung. They tend to spread to the chest wall rather than the lung tissue. These tumors usually respond well to treatment as long as they don't spread, or metastasize, to the lymph nodes or other systems. -
Stage IV Lung Cancer With ALK Rearrangement
Stage IV lung cancer refers to a late-stage cancer that has metastasized to other organs. A stage IV lung cancer with ALK rearrangement refers to this type of late-stage, non-small-cell lung cancer in which the ALK or "anaplastic lymphoma kinase" gene has gone awry and changed production levels of crucial cell growth proteins. -
What Are the Risk Factors of Lung Cancer?
The different types of lung cancer include non-small cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer, and other types of lung tumors. Smoking is the main cause of lung cancer. Other causes of lung cancer for non-smokers include secondhand smoke, air pollution, exposure to radon, radiation therapy, workplace exposure to carcinogens, genetic changes, and arsenic in drinking water. -
What are the Stages of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)?
There are five stages with multiple substages of non-small cell lung cancer, the most common lung cancer type. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) occurs when lung cells become abnormal and keep dividing and forming more cells without order or control. -
What Are the Types of Lung Cancer?
Lung cancer occurs when lung cells become abnormal and grow out of control. The main types of lung cancer include non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), squamous cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma, and small cell lung cancer. -
What Is the Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer vs. Small Cell Prognosis?
Depending on whether the lung cancer has spread to other parts of the body (metastasis), non-small cell lung cancer five-year survival rates range from 61% to 6%, while small cell lung cancer five-year survival rates range from 27% to 3%. -
What Is Usually the First Sign of Lung Cancer?
Lung cancer may not have symptoms early on. When the first signs and symptoms do occur, they may include cough, chest pain, weight loss, poor appetite, shortness of breath and other symptoms. -
What Stage Is Advanced Lung Cancer?
Lung cancer is caused by an abnormal growth of lung cells that become out of control. Stage IIIB, IIIC, and all stage IV lung cancers (also called metastatic lung cancer) are advanced stages of lung cancer in which cancer has spread (metastasized) to sites beyond the primary lung cancer tumor.
REFERENCE:
Kasper, D.L., et al., eds. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 19th Ed. United States: McGraw-Hill Education, 2015.