It is important to get a better understanding of the kind of lung cancer you have. A Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center pathologist will closely examine the lung cancer cells and tumor. Pathologists are experts in cancer who examine samples of body tissue under a microscope. MSK lung cancer pathologists are very experienced. They review slides for thousands of patients each year. Their work helps guide the doctors who are choosing a treatment plan that’s best for you.

There are 2 main types of lung cancer. They are called non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. Another type, called lung carcinoid tumors, is less common.

• Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NCSLC)
  Find out about Adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, which are the two most common subtypes of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
• Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)
  Accounting for around 13 percent of lung cancers, small cell lung cancer (SCLC) begins in the cells surrounding the bronchi. Learn more about this less common type.
• Lung Carcinoid Tumors
  Learn about lung carcinoid tumors, a highly diverse group of tumors formed by neuroendocrine cells.