small-cell lung cancer

small–cell lung cancer

noun

Definition of SMALL-CELL LUNG CANCER

: cancer of a highly malignant form that affects the lungs, tends to metastasize to other parts of the body, and is characterized by small round or oval cells resembling oat grains and having a high ratio of nuclear protoplasm to cytoplasm—called also oat-cell cancer, oat-cell carcinoma, small-cell carcinoma, small-cell lung carcinoma