Small cell carcinoma:
Chapter: 12
A highly malignant lung cancer characterized by sheets of small tumor cells, with a scanty amount of cytoplasm. This tumor is usually centrally located, and is closely associated with cigarette smoking. Most patients already have metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis; hence, chemotherapy is the usual treatment for this tumor (rather than surgical resection). Small cell carcinoma is at the malignant end of the spectrum of neuroendocrine tumors of the lung.