Small cell lung cancer is a type of lung cancer in which the cells look like oats when viewed under a microscope. It will sometimes be called oat cell carcinoma or cancer.

The lungs are a pair of sponge-like breathing organs that are found within the chest. The lungs bring oxygen into the body and take out carbon dioxide, which is a waste product of the body’s cells. Each lung has sections called lobes. The left lung has 2 lobes. The right lung, which is slightly larger, has 3 lobes. A thin membrane called the pleura surrounds the lungs. Two tubes called bronchi lead from the trachea (windpipe) to the right and left lungs. The bronchi are sometimes also involved in lung cancer. Tiny air sacs called alveoli and small tubes bronchioles make up the inside of the lungs.

Small cell cancer of the lung is a very fast growing cancer. Without treatment the usual survival is about 2 to 4 months. Compared with other cell types of lung cancer, small cell carcinoma has a greater tendency to grow to parts of the body far from the lung, but it is more responsive to chemotherapy and radiation.

What you need to know about lung cancer