1.3X1.1cm nodule in rt. lung, 2 others 2-3 mm each, cancer? wegener's?

[moogirl]

I had a CT scan in April 2005, after a chest/abdomen x-ray showed the nodules described in the subject.  A CT scan from March 2002 did not show these nodules.  I am 36, female, never smoked, grew up in smoking household.  Father's father died from lung cancer, was a smoker, father's mother treated for throat cancer, was a smoker also.  I've been to a pulmonary specialist, and while waiting to see him, I browsed the notes from a conference the hospital has for people with nodules.  I saw the word Wegener's and was wondering how likely it is that I have either cancer or Wegener's.  I keep hearing these are likely benign, but I'm still worried.

[National Jewish]

Nodules can be caused by infection, inflammation including Wegener's, and cancer.  It is highly likely that any nodules found in a 36 year old, non-smoker will not be cancer.  To know for sure a biopsy may need to be done.  Some fungal Infections can result in nodules.  This is common in California, Arizona, and the Midwest, especially in the Ohio River Valley.

[bactitech]

My husband recently had a 6 mm nodule show up in a second CT that did not show up in the first CT. He was also very concerned, as his father died from small cell lung cancer, his father's sister had part of a lung removed, his father's other sister died of lung cancer, and the latter sister's daughter died of throat cancer. He quit smoking in 1982 after about 10 years of smoking, so it's been many years since he's puffed away.

His pulmonologist told him that CT scans are taken in 10 mm slices. Since he was probably positioned slightly differently on the second one than the first one, this 6 mm nodule showed up because the slice the scanner took fell on it the second time and not on the first time (i.e. it was between slices).

He didn't seem concerned about this and wants him to have another in 6 months. My husband was very relieved.

I obviously don't know your history, and cannot obviously answer your question about diagnosis, but I wanted to let you know this information about how the CT scanner physicially worked so you would realize that where you're positioned can make a difference in what is seen. The doc also told him that they can take the slices a lot closer together, but this exposes the patient to a lot more radiation each time, so apparently they don't do this unless they have to.

Good luck.