Aa
small lung nodules
I had a chest CT as part of a general workup and it revealed two lung nodules, 3 mm and 4 mm. Dr. says not to worry, they're so small that it's very unlikely that they're cancer and we'll rescan in 6 months just to make sure. However, I have researched this on the net and I keep reading that 40% of nodules are malignant. I am 47 years old and do have a smoking history (15-20 pack years). Anyone have any opinions/experience on this issue?
Thanks for your responses, they have helped me to get through these months of waiting for my follow-up scan. I'll post results when I get the scan in November.
I am a 65 yr.old female and in late July I was told I had a small nodule on my lung. I had a ct and pet scan, which showed as a hot spot. But they still cannot tell me if it is the big C or not. I chose to have another ct done after 3 months, against my surgeon's wishes, turned out there was NO change, which is in my favor...I believe we all have to be our own advocate, and go with your gut feeling. I also have been diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica and am taking prednisone and this could of possibly caused the nodule also. So I guess I am taking a chance and going to wait 3 months and have another ct done. If anyone has any comments please advise.
I promised I'd post the results of my 3 month follow up CT scan, so here they are. I'm worried. I welcome anybody's input.
3 months ago I had a 4mm nodule in the right lower lobe and a 3mm nodule in the left lower lobe. Now these are 5mm and 4mm, respectively. The description of the 5mm nodule is puzzling: "it is unchanged in appearance and size when compared with the previous study"; however, in the preceding study it was 4mm and now it's 5mm. Also, its appearance is now said to be "suggestive of a small arteriovenous malformation" (this is new, there wasn't this description three months ago).
There are also three small nodules that weren't noticed on the prior scan: 1) a 3mm nodule just caudal and anterior to the 5mm nodule; 2) a 2mm nodule in the left lower lobe, and 3) a 2mm nodule in the lingula. The radiologist wrote that both 2mm nodules were present on the previous study (although they weren't mentioned until now). Nothing was said about the 3 mm nodule, but my dr. subsequently viewed the images together with the radiologist and now they say the 3mm nodule was there three months ago too.
In addition, they found a 3mm "ovoid low-density lesion in the posterior segment of the right lobe of the liver which was not definitely seen on the prior study. It is too small to characterize."
My dr. says that he's not worried, but I don't find him convincing. He says that there can be fluctuations between one reading and another, that the increase in size could be due to the CT being done at a slightly different angle or something like that. Same for the appearance of the new nodules and the liver lesion.
He says in any case all these things are too small to biopsy and all I can do is wait and rescan in 3 or 6 months. He didn't respond directly to my questions about what would be the likelihood that this is cancer. I am very worried.
So, if anyone has any knowledge about these areas, please tell me what you think about what this all might mean, whether I should be worried, and whether there are other tests or avenues I should pursue at this time.
God bless and thank you for your help.
3 months ago I had a 4mm nodule in the right lower lobe and a 3mm nodule in the left lower lobe. Now these are 5mm and 4mm, respectively. The description of the 5mm nodule is puzzling: "it is unchanged in appearance and size when compared with the previous study"; however, in the preceding study it was 4mm and now it's 5mm. Also, its appearance is now said to be "suggestive of a small arteriovenous malformation" (this is new, there wasn't this description three months ago).
There are also three small nodules that weren't noticed on the prior scan: 1) a 3mm nodule just caudal and anterior to the 5mm nodule; 2) a 2mm nodule in the left lower lobe, and 3) a 2mm nodule in the lingula. The radiologist wrote that both 2mm nodules were present on the previous study (although they weren't mentioned until now). Nothing was said about the 3 mm nodule, but my dr. subsequently viewed the images together with the radiologist and now they say the 3mm nodule was there three months ago too.
In addition, they found a 3mm "ovoid low-density lesion in the posterior segment of the right lobe of the liver which was not definitely seen on the prior study. It is too small to characterize."
My dr. says that he's not worried, but I don't find him convincing. He says that there can be fluctuations between one reading and another, that the increase in size could be due to the CT being done at a slightly different angle or something like that. Same for the appearance of the new nodules and the liver lesion.
He says in any case all these things are too small to biopsy and all I can do is wait and rescan in 3 or 6 months. He didn't respond directly to my questions about what would be the likelihood that this is cancer. I am very worried.
So, if anyone has any knowledge about these areas, please tell me what you think about what this all might mean, whether I should be worried, and whether there are other tests or avenues I should pursue at this time.
God bless and thank you for your help.
I've been researching this problem for my husband who has non-calcified "scattered" pulmonary nodules. I will tell you what I have done before and plan to do again, this time for him:
I was 32 years old and diagnosed with adenocarcinoma in multiple colon polyps. They were rather large and deep when they found them. My local community hospital felt it was safe to say the cancer in the polyps was "likely" contained and had not spread. Likely?? I didn't feel comfortable with that. I went to the hospital's pathology lab and requested my slides. I then took a train into New York City, went to Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and hand-delivered my slides and my chart to one of the most prominent doctors for this problem in the country to review. Was it overkill? Possibly. But I certainly felt much better after I had his opinion.
So, all of this to say, if you are concerned and confused (and rightly should be with the new findings that were "missed" at each CT), I would research the best medical center in your geographical area for cancer. Get ALL of your CT scans, PET scans and x-rays (the films, not just the reports), your entire chart from your physician and have an expert review all of it. Your piece of mind is worth it! Telling you not to worry is insulting, especially with the conflicting information being provided to you. If the expert comes up with the same conclusion, just to continue serial CTs, you'll still feel better about it. Good luck.
I was 32 years old and diagnosed with adenocarcinoma in multiple colon polyps. They were rather large and deep when they found them. My local community hospital felt it was safe to say the cancer in the polyps was "likely" contained and had not spread. Likely?? I didn't feel comfortable with that. I went to the hospital's pathology lab and requested my slides. I then took a train into New York City, went to Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and hand-delivered my slides and my chart to one of the most prominent doctors for this problem in the country to review. Was it overkill? Possibly. But I certainly felt much better after I had his opinion.
So, all of this to say, if you are concerned and confused (and rightly should be with the new findings that were "missed" at each CT), I would research the best medical center in your geographical area for cancer. Get ALL of your CT scans, PET scans and x-rays (the films, not just the reports), your entire chart from your physician and have an expert review all of it. Your piece of mind is worth it! Telling you not to worry is insulting, especially with the conflicting information being provided to you. If the expert comes up with the same conclusion, just to continue serial CTs, you'll still feel better about it. Good luck.
Here is a my CT Scan results from 12-1-2006. The theory that nodules smaller than 2 cm are not cancer was shot in my case.
Numerous small well circumscribed nodules 5mm or less in diameter are scattered throughout both lungs. Two of the nodules were present on 11/1/2005 and 1/10/2006 and are unchanged. However, the vast majority of these nodules have developed de novo and the appearance is consistent with metastasis disease. The lungs show no infiltrates. The heart is normal in size. The aorta and pulmonary arteries are normal. There is no adenopathy and there are no chest wall abnormalities. The gallbladder is surgically absent.
Conclusion: Numerous small nodules 5 mm or less have developed throughout both lungs since 1/10/2006 and the appearances of consistent with metastic disease.
Numerous small well circumscribed nodules 5mm or less in diameter are scattered throughout both lungs. Two of the nodules were present on 11/1/2005 and 1/10/2006 and are unchanged. However, the vast majority of these nodules have developed de novo and the appearance is consistent with metastasis disease. The lungs show no infiltrates. The heart is normal in size. The aorta and pulmonary arteries are normal. There is no adenopathy and there are no chest wall abnormalities. The gallbladder is surgically absent.
Conclusion: Numerous small nodules 5 mm or less have developed throughout both lungs since 1/10/2006 and the appearances of consistent with metastic disease.
My husband had breathing difficulties for almost 6 months. When he finally went to the docs, xray showed nothing, but the cat showed several irregular inflamed nodes. She did 8 biopsies. Results are not in till Wednesday maybe....but she says she is 99.9% certain nothing with the big C. I hope she is right. She felt maybe hypersensitivity to a pet, but told us to get rid of nothing till the results come in. Do size and shape really matter in this one? We were so scard all week long, but greatly releaved that she did not think the big c was the issue.
You are reading content posted in the Respiratory Disorders Forum
Find out what causes asthma, and how to take control of your symptoms.
Healing home remedies for common ailments
Tricks to help you quit for good.
Is your area one of the dirtiest-air cities in the nation?
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
