Hello, I am sorry to hear thatyou are facing this situation. I too have been there. So, I know what you're going through. My Pulmonologist had been watching a nodule in my left upper lung for approximately 2 1/2 years. It started at about 1mm. I too was a heavy smoker, and my dad died of lung cancer and my mom died of Copd. They both were smokers as well. Well anyway I had CT scans every 6 months then on my last Ct scan the nodule grew at an alarming rate from 6mm to 12mm in 6 months. He ordered a PET scan, and it showed a lot of activity. So, he referred me to a Thoracic Surgeon. The surgeon said that the nodule was in a position in my lung where he could not get to it to do a biopsy, and he recommended to just have the upper lobe removed.
I too was wandering if it was benign. But turns out after he removed it the reports came back that it was NSCLC (Squamous Cell Carcinoma) Stage 1a2. They caught it early and by removing the entire upper lobe they got it all. They also took out lymph nodes and there is no cancer anywhere. Thankfully i will not have to have Chemo or radiation. I will continue to have my CT Scans every 6 months to monitor the lungs.