Small cell lung cancer

What is small cell lung cancer?

When there is an uncontrolled or abnormal growth of cells in the lungs that is called lung cancer. The two major classifications of lung cancer are small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

SCLC is less common: 10-15% of lung cancer patients are diagnosed with it. The symptoms for both types of lung cancer can be similar, but SCLC spreads more aggressively than NSCLC.

As a result, diagnosis often happens when the cancer cells have already spread throughout the body and the chances of recovery are more critical.

What are the types of small cell lung cancer?

There are two main types of SCLC, depending on what the cells look like through a microscope. These are:

• Small-cell carcinoma (oat cell cancer)
• Combined small-cell carcinoma

What are the symptoms of small cell lung cancer?

There are a few signs that can indicate the danger of having SCLC:

• Difficulty in breathing
• A cough that does not go away or blood coming out (even a small amount) while coughing
• A chronic headache
• Unintentional weight loss
• Sudden loss of appetite, unless you are taking some medications
• Constant chest pain that worsens while taking a deep breath
• Unexplained fatigue, loss of sleep
• Swelling of face and hands
• Change in voice
• Neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain, and weakness in legs
  
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What are the risk factors for small cell lung cancer?

According to medical research, 

• 95% of SCLC patients have a history of smoking. Even exposure to passive smoke can also be dangerous.
• Being exposed to areas with significant air pollution can enhance the risk.
• Past exposure to radon gas and other chemicals including asbestos, arsenic, nickel, chromium, etc., can significantly increase the risk of SCLC.
• In addition to this, older age and family history of lung cancer are automatically counted as major risk factors of SCLC.

What are the stages of small cell lung cancers?

SCLC is divided into two stages, depending on the growth and spread of the cancer cells:

• Stage 1: Limited stage lung cancer. In the limited stage, the cancer is confined to one side of the chest. One can feel pain in the lymph, as in this stage, lymph nodes might get affected.
• Stage 2: SCLC, if it gets diagnosed at a later stage, that stage is known as “extensive stage lung cancer”. In the extensive stage, the tumour mass is very big and may have spread to the other side of the chest or body, affecting its functions. In this stage, recovery becomes quite difficult.

What is the treatment for small cell lung cancer?

The most common ways to treat SCLC is chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

In most cases, surgery is not an option to treat small cell lung cancer. So, we have to be enough careful of any signs that bother us, and we should always consult a physician as soon as any of those signs are observed.

This is the first article in a series on lung cancer. All through this month, we’ll bring to you articles on little-known but important facts about lung cancer, the most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide.