There are 2 main types of lung cancer, which are named for the size of the cancer cells seen under a microscope: small cell lung cancer and non–small cell lung cancer. Around 85–90% of lung cancers are non–small cell cancers.
The 3 main subtypes of non–small cell lung cancer are:
Small cell lung cancer tends to grow and spread quickly. It has usually spread to other parts of the body before it is detected.
There are other types of lung cancer but they are all rare.
Cancers that start in other organs and metastasise to the lungs are not lung cancers. They are treated according to where they started in the body.