Is it true that small cell lung cancer is considered a sleeper cell where it only presents itself aggressively in the final stages? making sense of dx

Interesting term: All cancers can display a wide range of behavior, from very slow, to very fast growing. This is true even of small cell cancer, which has a well-earned reputation of growing rapidly and spreading early, often before it's detected. I've never heard the term "sleeper cell" used in this field, but if it applies anywhere, this might be a reasonable description of all lung cancer, esp small cell.

Poor term: All cancers are better treated when found early. Lung cancers of all types progress significantly before producing symptoms. 75% of non small cell lung cancers are Stage 3 or 4 when they are discovered and Small Cell Lung Cancers are the fastest growing so are usually advanced stage when discovered. They are aggressive throughout their existence, however, without a "sleeper' stage.