Abnormal growth of tissue in the lungs smaller than 3 centimetres is called a lung nodule. This growth can either be benign or malignant. Benign nodules are non-cancerous growths and do not spread to other parts of your body. On the other hand, malignant nodules are cancerous and can spread to other tissues or parts of your body quickly.
Many people get told that they have a mass in their lungs when they go for an X-ray or CT scan. This type of half information can leave you feeling stressed and anxious for long periods. Now, there is no need for you to live with that fear and anxiety.
We will discuss when you need to worry about lung nodules and how you can find answers for any questions you may have.
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Spot On Your Lung: Cancerous or Benign?
Lesions, white spots, pulmonary or lung nodules – all mean an abnormality in the lungs. They are commonly found in a chest CT when someone is experiencing symptoms of lung disease or during a lung cancer screening.
On the CT scan, your lungs show up as two dark sponges with narrow lines running through them. The darkness is because lungs are filled with air, which shows up on a CT scan as a dark area. When someone has an abnormality in the lungs, the abnormal area shows up as white, to show that there is something else in the lungs when there should be only air.
Once you are told that there are nodules in your lungs, the first thought you might have is, ‘Is it cancerous?” The short answer is ‘not always’. While there are chances of the nodules being cancerous, most abnormalities in the lungs turn out to be benign.
How Does A Doctor Determine If The Nodule Is Cancerous Or Not?
To determine the probability of your lung nodule is cancerous, your doctor will generally look at 3 distinct characteristics.
- Size: small nodules (the size of a green pea) have fewer chances of being cancerous. Larger nodules are more worrisome. Sometimes, a comparison is taken between a scan taken a few weeks ago and one taken in the near past. Cancerous nodules are more likely to grow in size.
- Shape: rounded nodules are less likely to carry cancer than ones with jagged edges.
- Calcification: calcification occurs as a response to an infection. Such nodules are most likely to be non-cancerous.
This shows that while a CT scan may not be enough to confirm lung cancer, it can help to determine if further testing is necessary. If yes, your doctor may ask you to get a PET scan or a biopsy of your lung.
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Is Regular Testing For Lung Cancer Necessary?
Screening for lung cancer is like a colonoscopy or a mammogram. A yearly check can help high-risk people to detect any suspicious signs of cancer and if present, help catch it as early as possible. However, there is still not a lot of awareness regarding this. According to the United States Preventive Services Task Force, if you are a current or former smoker who smoked a pack a day for 20 years and have quit for less than 15 years and fall between the ages of 50 and 80, you are at high risk for lung cancer.
What To Do If You Have A Lung Nodule?
If your physician has informed you of a nodule in your lung, consider consulting a pulmonologist having experience in detecting and treating lung nodules or cancer or an oncologist. These doctors can be better equipped to offer you better guidance and determine whether the nodules are benign or not.
You should also consider getting a second opinion at the best private hospitals in Adelaide. This can help you get more information and can help lift any stress or anxiety that comes along with the thought of you having a lung nodule.
How To Treat Lung Nodules?
If your lung nodule has a low risk of cancer, your doctor may recommend watchful waiting. You may be advised to monitor the size of the nodule with CT scans over some time. If the size does not grow in about 2 years, the nodule is most likely benign. The doctor will determine how often you need to go for a scan depending on your overall risk of cancer and the size of the nodule.
If the nodule is cancerous, treatment options will be determined based on the stage and type of cancer. The management methods are subject to change as your treatment progresses. Your doctor can recommend surgically removing the nodule, radiation therapy or chemotherapy.