Course of the disease

Small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer differ in the way they develop and the treatment they need. Non-small cell lung cancer (the most common type of lung cancer) generally grows and spreads more slowly than small cell lung cancer. Small cell lung cancer, sometimes called oat cell cancer, grows quickly and is more likely to spread to other organs in the body.

Early diagnosis of lung cancer leads to a wider range of treatment options. Your doctor will assess the best treatment plan for you depending on your general health and the type and stage of the tumour.

Surgery is usually the treatment of choice for localised (cancer which has not spread to other parts of the body) non-small cell lung cancer. Radiotherapy (treatment which uses high energy rays eg x-rays, targeted to tumours) and/or chemotherapy (treatment with anti-cancer drugs to shrink or destroy the tumour) may be used in combination with surgery to treat cancer that has already spread.