Small lung nodules: How often should they be monitored?

Posted by sandie956 @sandie956, Jun 22, 2019

Small nodules on each lung. Third CT scan showed no change. Doctor said if next CT in one year shows no change, need no scan again, is this true? I would rather have scans every year?

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@merpreb

@peach414144- Good morning. For the past 13 years, I have had many ground glass nodules in my lungs. I have what is called multifocal adenocarcinoma. There are many reasons for ground glass opacities but if they change and grow, yes they might be considered cancer, as mine have been.

This link will show you some of the causes of ggo (ground glass opacities)
https://radiopaedia.org/articles/ground-glass-opacification-3?lang=us

No, they do not hurt. These findings are early (when was this discovered) so you shouldn't feel a thing. I had a GG opacity in my lower left lung for 5 years and it has only grown 3cm in 5 years. That's like 3 dots of a pencil. Our lungs are huge so it takes a lot to cause pain in size.

Introduction. Ground-glass nodules (GGNs) on computed tomography (CT) are hazy lesions that do not obscure underlying bronchial structures or pulmonary vessels. GGNs are manifestations of both malignant and benign lesions, such as focal interstitial fibrosis, inflammation, or hemorrhage (ncbi)

Peach, when was this found?

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Merry, very recently at the beginning of this year of 2020. Peach (I am continuing to enlarge the list of who's who in the Peach body,) Laugh clown laugh.

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@peach414144

Merry, very recently at the beginning of this year of 2020. Peach (I am continuing to enlarge the list of who's who in the Peach body,) Laugh clown laugh.

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@peach414144- You certainly have a collection. I am to blame for feeling like I did something to cause my problems but that comes from my mother who felt guilty for almost everything. There are just somethings that happen in life- like life itself!

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@merpreb

@peach414144- You certainly have a collection. I am to blame for feeling like I did something to cause my problems but that comes from my mother who felt guilty for almost everything. There are just somethings that happen in life- like life itself!

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The nodules are to be cat scanned every so many months, like abut every six months. They are not to clear about this. Peach

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@merpreb

@peach414144- You certainly have a collection. I am to blame for feeling like I did something to cause my problems but that comes from my mother who felt guilty for almost everything. There are just somethings that happen in life- like life itself!

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Merry, You did not ask for what your body is responding to. I think much of it is what we have inherited from our ancestor;s. Not just the close ones but the ancestor's from many many years ago. And of course what we do to ourselves such as cigarette smoking or to much alcohol and drugs. ALSO From not sleeping enough which is very, very important. Peach

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@peach414144

The nodules are to be cat scanned every so many months, like abut every six months. They are not to clear about this. Peach

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@peach414144- You are right, Peach. They can't be clear until a PET scan and a biopsy is done, if possible. If your nodules are slow-growing they just might not do anything but a 6 month CT scan. I wonder if it's possible if your dr. knows if it's Multifocal adenocarcinoma of the lung? Does he say if it's nsclc or smlc (non-smal cell lung cancer/ small cell lung cancer)?

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@merpreb

@peach414144- You are right, Peach. They can't be clear until a PET scan and a biopsy is done, if possible. If your nodules are slow-growing they just might not do anything but a 6 month CT scan. I wonder if it's possible if your dr. knows if it's Multifocal adenocarcinoma of the lung? Does he say if it's nsclc or smlc (non-smal cell lung cancer/ small cell lung cancer)?

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Dear Merry, I wish I could answer your question clearly and with accuracy but many of the doctors either will not answer the question or not with a complete answer. One says one thing the other says another, I think they think we are of a low I.. Q , or they mumble, etc,, etc. I keep anmswering. The latet: BELEVE IT OT NOT; WENT TO LUNG DOCTOR AFTER BEING IN EMERGENEY ROOM FOR CHEST OAINS IN AREAS OF THE NODULES AND THE LUNG DOCTOR TOLD ME THE CAT SCAN SHOWED NO NODULES.

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@peach414144

Dear Merry, I wish I could answer your question clearly and with accuracy but many of the doctors either will not answer the question or not with a complete answer. One says one thing the other says another, I think they think we are of a low I.. Q , or they mumble, etc,, etc. I keep anmswering. The latet: BELEVE IT OT NOT; WENT TO LUNG DOCTOR AFTER BEING IN EMERGENEY ROOM FOR CHEST OAINS IN AREAS OF THE NODULES AND THE LUNG DOCTOR TOLD ME THE CAT SCAN SHOWED NO NODULES.

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@peach414144- Well, I'm lost too. My suggestion is to get a copy of the radiologist's report. That will tell you. You are entitled to it. Do you think that you can get the hospital/clinic to send it to you?

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@merpreb

@peach414144- Well, I'm lost too. My suggestion is to get a copy of the radiologist's report. That will tell you. You are entitled to it. Do you think that you can get the hospital/clinic to send it to you?

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I thank you for your attention to this and me. We must remember that when one reaches the age of 83 you are treated like a three year old and must insist more than once and then again like you have never asked. We are quietly pushed to the side and sometimes the request is granted. Persaverence helps sometimes. By the way my radiologist report does not mention it. So I ask the doctors and I get different answers. I usually give some time to pass then bring it up again and again. Is it where I live or is this also elsewhere? (I find the medical community here quite backwards.) But still must respect.

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@peach414144

I thank you for your attention to this and me. We must remember that when one reaches the age of 83 you are treated like a three year old and must insist more than once and then again like you have never asked. We are quietly pushed to the side and sometimes the request is granted. Persaverence helps sometimes. By the way my radiologist report does not mention it. So I ask the doctors and I get different answers. I usually give some time to pass then bring it up again and again. Is it where I live or is this also elsewhere? (I find the medical community here quite backwards.) But still must respect.

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@peach414144- I don't know where you live- no, don't say! But yes, in some parts of America, Medical care is certainly lacking. Is it possible for you to travel and get better care?

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@peach414144

I thank you for your attention to this and me. We must remember that when one reaches the age of 83 you are treated like a three year old and must insist more than once and then again like you have never asked. We are quietly pushed to the side and sometimes the request is granted. Persaverence helps sometimes. By the way my radiologist report does not mention it. So I ask the doctors and I get different answers. I usually give some time to pass then bring it up again and again. Is it where I live or is this also elsewhere? (I find the medical community here quite backwards.) But still must respect.

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You are correct. I was waiting for this to happen sooner or later. Perhaps they cannot deal with us because we prevail and continue to make sense. Let us see now, what can we do with this old woman who will not lay down and die. She still wants to live. She wants to continue to walk in between the wheelchair use. She still wants to feed her cat and dog, to care and love them. To go out to the back yard, get some sun, to look at the flowers, Watch the clouds roll bye and prepare the meals for the next day. And then to continue on to work with doctors to keep her going for as long as she can. The doctors are not prepared for this. If they will listen to us we can guide them with their experience together. Chances are this is but a dream but who knows without trying first There is always pain as we progress but the happiness we get in return working and loving the animals until their turn comes. The doctors must Come to understand that we are people who have our lives to continue as we wait for our time to come to the end. And all this with respect to the doctors.

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