Esophageal Cancer Metastases

Hi:

I am an esophageal cancer patient, diagnosed as Stage 0 in 7/01, with a successful esophagectomy in 8/01. No metastases, including no lympth node involvement, were detected in 2001, and all margins were clear. Semiannual endoscopic biopsies have reveale gastric pollyps both times since the esophagectomy, but the were benign. Several months ago, I had a chest and abdomen CAT scan performed as a surviellance measure, and it showed the following:

"....bilateral pulmonary nodules without evidence of focal airspace opacities or effusions. There is no hilar or mediastinal lymphadenopathy."

I have no idea what that even means, other than it was not there on a CAT scan performed in 7/01, and is now in both lungs. My cancer surgeon recently left for another hospital outside my HMO network, so I don't have an expert to help me understand what is going on with my lungs, or to plan what my next steps should be. I am looking for a new doc.

In the meantime, anyone out there familiar with pulmonary nodules? Can anyone make any sense of the medical jargon they used in my report?

Thank you in advance for any insight you may add.

Chicken Soup

[Kevin Pho, MD]

Hello - thanks for asking your question.

Multiple pulmonary nodules have many causes - it is definitely recommended that you seek a pulmonologist.  

Causes can include malignancy (i.e. metastases or lymphoma), infection (multiple abscesses, fungi, septic emboli), rheumatologic diseases such as Wegener's Granulomatosis, or pneumoconiosis/silicosis.  

In any case, your findings needs to be interpreted and evaluated by a pulmonologist.

I stress that this answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Thanks,
Kevin, M.D.