Overview

Lung cancer begins when cancer cells develop in lung tissues. It is the primary cause of cancer-related deaths in men and women in the U.S. The two main types of lung cancer — non-small cell and small cell — are very different and it’s important to know what type you have. Non-small cell represents about 85 percent of all lung cancer cases.

Wilmot Cancer Institute is the only center in the Finger Lakes region with doctors who specialize in lung cancer. Wilmot offers the most advanced treatments and technology, such as gene analysis of lung tumors, clinical trials testing the newest therapies, minimally invasive robotic surgery, video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), navigational bronchoscopy and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT).

Lung cancer types

  • Non-small cell lung cancer includes adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and large-cell carcinoma, among others.
  • Small-cell lung cancer is also called oat cell cancer. Fewer than 15 percent of lung cancers fall into this category.
  • Lung carcinoid tumors, which are rare. They tend to grow slowly.