The short answer
The two main types of lung cancer are non-small cell lung cancer, which is the most common, and small cell lung cancer, which tends to grow and spread faster. The type guides treatment.
The two main types are non-small cell and small cell lung cancer.
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the more common type.
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) tends to grow and spread more quickly.
The two types are treated differently, so the type matters.
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The whole article, with every detail and caution.
The simple version
This page is for people who have been told they have lung cancer, and their families. Lung cancer is grouped into two main types, based on how the cancer cells look under a microscope. Knowing the type matters, because the two are treated quite differently.
The two main types
Lung cancer falls into two groups:
- Non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC — the more common type.
- Small cell lung cancer, or SCLC — less common. It tends to grow and spread faster.
Non-small cell lung cancer in more detail
NSCLC itself has several subtypes. Adenocarcinoma is now the most common subtype in many countries, and it can be found in people who never smoked. Squamous cell carcinoma and large cell carcinoma are the other main subtypes. The specific drugs used can differ based on the tumor's genetic features.
Small cell lung cancer in more detail
Smoking is the most important risk factor for SCLC. It can grow and spread quickly, often to other parts of the body early on. It can also come back after treatment, in the chest, the central nervous system, or other parts of the body. This shapes how doctors plan treatment and follow-up.
Why the type matters so much
NSCLC and SCLC are treated differently. SCLC treatment includes combination chemotherapy, radiation to the chest, and immunotherapy. NSCLC treatment draws on a wider range of tools. These include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. Doctors choose based on the cancer's stage and specific features.
Biomarker testing for non-small cell lung cancer
For NSCLC, doctors often test the tumor's genes and proteins. This is called biomarker testing. It can reveal specific changes, such as in the EGFR or ALK genes, that targeted drugs are built to attack. NCI recommends biomarker tests to help predict how you may respond to treatment.
More biomarkers than just EGFR and ALK
Doctors now test for several other gene changes too. Each one has a matching targeted drug:
- KRAS: sotorasib or adagrasib
- MET: capmatinib or tepotinib
- RET: selpercatinib or pralsetinib
- BRAF: dabrafenib with trametinib
- ROS1: crizotinib, entrectinib, or repotrectinib
- NTRK: larotrectinib
Not every tumor has one of these changes. Your care team will explain which, if any, apply to you.
What to ask your team
- Which type of lung cancer do I have, and which subtype if it is non-small cell?
- Has my tumor been tested for biomarkers like EGFR, ALK, or PD-L1?
- How does the type affect my treatment options?
- What does the type mean for my outlook?
Sources
Common questions
What are the two main types?
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most common, and small cell lung cancer (SCLC), which is less common but tends to grow and spread faster.
How common is each?
Non-small cell lung cancer is the more common type. Small cell lung cancer is less common, and smoking is its most important risk factor.
Why does the type matter?
The two types behave differently and are treated differently. Small cell lung cancer is treated with combination chemotherapy, radiation, and sometimes immunotherapy, while non-small cell may be treated with surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy.
What is biomarker testing?
For non-small cell lung cancer, testing the tumor's genes can reveal changes that targeted therapies or immunotherapy can address, helping match treatment to the cancer.
Questions to ask your doctor
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Last updated: 2026-10-16Next planned review: 2027-07-07
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Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes, and this is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and then compared with the sources listed on it, looking for statements those sources do not back up. That check is not a sentence-by-sentence record and can miss errors. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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