Having a consult with a knowledgeable Pulmonologist is the thing to do. Just check their background to see that they have a subspecialty in lung nodules and lung cancer. Specialists have different subspecialties so a Pulmonologist not specialized in that area will not be the best help for you. I had that issue with my first one, so I quickly changed.
Surprising about cost of your PET scan. Your PET scan cost you over $10,000? Out of pocket?
What kind of insurance is that? I had a PET scan in January at Mayo Clinic and the "retail" price (charge first submitted by the medical provider) was about $8500, but Medicare sets it own price and then pays 80% of that so Medicare paid about $1500. I am responsible for the 20% of the amount set by Medicare (not the original charge submitted by the medical provider) and that was then only about $340. Insurance companies also agree on pricing with the provider. The only people paying full original "retail" price are people without insurance. It has been written about - no one knows where these prices leading to providers submitting extravagant charges come from and no insurance accepts and they all pay much less.
I have a type of lung cancer with multiple lung nodules which are all considered primary lung cancers (independent originated in the lung and not from somewhere else). Depending on how things are going I do CT scans every 3months sometimes 6 months. They watch to decide when it is time to treat one of the nodules.
I do periodic PET scans because they give a different type of information. The CT scan tells them if the nodules are increasing in size, the PET scan tells them if they are probably cancer by the amount of uptake.
Last year I had a situation where the CT scan was talking about one nodule in one lobe that was growing while the PET scan indicated a different nodule in a different lobe had more uptake. So they threated the one indicated by the PET scan first and months later treated the other nodule. PET also shows if there has been any metastasis to other parts of the body.
I have found that recommendations made by radiologist in scan reports are very informative as to the next step. And one wants the Specialist to decide on what and when and not a general doctor.

Hi @liz77, Feeling anxious is perfectly acceptable when facing the unknown, especially after watching your mother go through treatment for a brain tumor. Was her tumor able to be treated?
You are right to want to watch these nodules, and hopefully the pulmonologist agrees. They may go away, but an increase in the number of findings is concerning. I would ask the pulmonologist if these other opacities may have been there before and only noted by the later radiologist. Different radiologists will often pick up on different findings. Having two CTs to compare side by side should show the differences.
In 2020, I had obvious cancerous lung masses. But in late 2023, I had a nodule and swollen lymph nodes that turned out to be fungal (no known source of birds or bats). A lot can happen to our bodies, and they try to protect us, and they can be very resilient with the appropriate treatments. It's good to be prepared but try to focus on the challenge in front of you, not the challenge down the road.
I'm also sorry that your insurance company is making this process more difficult. You sound like you're on top of this but be sure to work with the provider ordering the tests to make sure the reason for the tests is clear and coded appropriately. Will your insurance cover the repeat CT scans?

Hi,

Is there anyway you can receive some kind of medical insurance? Do you qualify for MediCal? Maybe discuss with your doctor or Hospital Social Worker for any of info. Ask questions because there may be a way for $$ help!

I had similar size nodules (7mm), and insisted on a biopsy at UCLA. Fortunately I did because it was cancer…..both lungs. I have learned during my cancer journey to be my own doctor, ask questions, be aggressive and hang on to HOPE!

Please don’t hesitate to ask me anything. 🙏🏻
Janna