MR.

I DRINK ABOUT 14OZ. OF ALCOHOL ON A DAILY BASIS, I ALSO SMOKE I PACK A DAY.  I AM COUGHING UP BLOOD, BUT A CAT SCAN INDICATED I HAVE NO TUMORS. I WILL BE TAKING A BROCHOSCOPY SOME TIME IN OCTOBER. PLEASE, WHAT POSSIBLE LUNG DECEASES CAN SHOW UP?  I APPRECIATE YOUR ANSWERS AND I THANK YOU. PS, I AM A 54 YEAR OLD MALE AND HAVE DIABETES.

[National Jewish Health]

Blood can be a sign of malignant and non-malignant tumors or infection, especially tuberculosis when it is present primarily in the airways.  Some small tumors can bleed and not be evident on chest CT.

The absence of tumor on the CT scan raises the question of another source of bleeding, for example from the:  
• nose;
• sinuses;
• voice box; or
• esophagus, called esophageal varices, which are due to chronic alcohol ingestion.  Blood coming from the esophagus or stomach can sometimes be mistakenly thought to be coming from the lungs.

You might want to ask your doctor about the use of autofluorescence bronchoscopy, to be done, at the time of the conventional white light bronchoscopy.  You might also want to ask, why the delay until October?

Good luck