ct scan results not understanding them

I'm 60 yr old woman, smoked for 45 years, stoped in Mar 06 because of breathing difficulties. Dr took a ct scan and the results I don't really understand.
It says 6.0-7.0 mm noncalcified nodule in the left lower lobe. The nodule is probably too small to be seen with PET scan. Also they wrote a small amount of fluid is seen in the pericardial recess. Please help me understand does this mean the nodule is cancer??? what's the difference between noncalcified and calcified.

[National Jewish]

By the usual criteria, this nodule is quite small.  The majority of nodules this size are not cancer.  Calcified nodules are almost always not cancer.  Non-calcified nodules may or may not be cancer.  You should talk about this with your doctor.  You may want to talk about it with a lung specialist.  A repeat CT scan in 3 to 4 months would be a reasonable suggestion.

[Barbarella]

My husband smoked 4 packs a day for 40 yrs and 3 yrs ago the CT scan revealed a "nodule", don't know how big it was.  The Lung Specialist ordered a "bronchoscope" where a biopsy was done of the nodule.  It was benign, no cancer.  The Lung doctor said the nodule is "pre-cancerous" and if he had not stopped smoking it very possibly would've turned into cancer.  He had to have a CT done every 6 months for the next 3 yrs.  He is now in the clear and also quit smoking 3 yrs ago.

Good luck to you.