“I have nodules in my right lung. Am I suffering from cancer?”
In my latest CT scan, the doctor has indicated the presence of nodules in my right lungs. What does this mean? Is this a sign of cancer?
2 Answers
THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT EXPLANATIONS FOR LUNG NODULES SOME SMALL PERCENTAGE MAY IN FACT INCLUDE CANCER, HOWEVER, THAT IS NEVER A PRESUMED DIAGNOSIS; SEE A LUNG SPECIALIST TO ASSESS FURTHER.
The presence of nodules merely means that we found something that isn't supposed to be there. In general, they could mean anything from scar tissue, to something you inhaled that is now there and minding its own business, to potential cancer, to pneumonia. Not every nodule should be biopsied. In fact many aren't. The characteristics of that nodule (big or small, blurry or well defined, etc.) do offer a suggestion of what it might be. But it's usually up to the doctor and the patient to discuss the best method to arrive to a conclusion. Some nodules need to to be followed and others may be concerning and need a biopsy. At the end of the day, it's a case-by-case basis.
