Rare diseases · Sign or symptom

Small cell lung carcinoma

HP:0030357

What it means

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a type of highly malignant lung cancer that is composed of small ovoid cells. In the past, SCLC was called oat cell carcinoma because the microscopic appearance of the cells was felt to resemble oats. SLCLC usually originates near the bronchi and in many cases may grow and metastasize quickly.

Rare diseases that can present with this6

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Oat cell carcinoma of lung · Oat cell lung cancer · Small cell lung cancer

Small cell lung carcinoma

Tracking symptoms like this for someone? Eleplan keeps symptoms, diagnoses, medications and every specialist in one plan.

Start free with Eleplan

This page uses the Human Phenotype Ontology (2026-06-23) — Human Phenotype Ontology Consortium, hpo.jax.org. Disease associations from Orphanet (INSERM), CC BY 4.0. Content is educational and is not medical advice.