Key Points
- Lung cancer is a disease in which cells in the lungs grow out of control.
- Lung cancers usually are grouped into two main types called small cell and non-small cell.
What it is
Lung cancer begins in the lungs and may spread to lymph nodes or other organs in the body, such as the brain. Cancer from other organs also may spread to the lungs. When cancer cells spread from one organ to another, they are called metastases.
Types
Lung cancers usually are grouped into two main types called small cell and non-small cell (non-small cell includes adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma). These types of lung cancer grow differently and are treated differently. Non-small cell lung cancer is more common than small cell lung cancer.