This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Small cell carcinoma of the lung

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

This is a highly aggressive, undifferentiated carcinoma which grows rapidly and metastasizes early. It accounts for about 20 - 30% of lung tumours.

The tumour contains dense core granules similar to the argentaffin cell granules of the gastrointestinal tract and actively secretes hormones and hormone like products. The granules bear close resemblance to secretory granules of the amine precursor uptake and decarboxylation - APUD - system.

A number of paraneoplastic syndromes are associated with these tumours, including the Eaton-Lambert myasthenic syndrome, SIADH, Cushing's syndrome due to excess ACTH, and carcinoid syndrome from biogenic amines.

Three types are distinguishable histologically:

  • oat cell tumour - characterised by uniform small - to - medium sized, closely packed cells arranged in strands, clusters, or singly, with dark-staining nuclei and a high nuclear:cytoplasmic ratio. A crush artefact is commonly seen in biopsies.

  • intermediate cell tumour - similar to the oat cell type but the cells are more fusiform in nature

  • combined oat cell tumour - has definite areas of squamous and glandular differentiation

Create an account to add page annotations

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.