1. < Lung Health

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?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Lung Health Support Group.

peach414144 | @peach414144 | Aug 6, 2020
In reply to @peach414144 "You are correct. I was waiting for this to happen sooner or later. Perhaps they cannot..." + (show)
@peach414144

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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T,tHANK YOU MIGIZII sincerely from Peach

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janeellen | @janeellen | Sep 24, 2020

I had a PET scan and on little nodule "lit" I had NO symptoms but doctor suggested a biopsy. Negative. F.U CT showed another new small nodule. No symptoms. Had a bone scan-normal. Had bone marrow biopsy-normal. One doc suggested another lung biopsy, after suggested another CT. I think I can wait a year for the f/uCT scan, not five months. Do you agree? I feel totally fine. NO symptoms.

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4 replies
Merry, Alumni Mentor | @merpreb | Sep 24, 2020
In reply to @janeellen "I had a PET scan and on little nodule "lit" I had NO symptoms but doctor..." + (show)
@janeellen

I had a PET scan and on little nodule "lit" I had NO symptoms but doctor suggested a biopsy. Negative. F.U CT showed another new small nodule. No symptoms. Had a bone scan-normal. Had bone marrow biopsy-normal. One doc suggested another lung biopsy, after suggested another CT. I think I can wait a year for the f/uCT scan, not five months. Do you agree? I feel totally fine. NO symptoms.

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@janeellen- Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I agree with you. Perhaps a 3 month wait? PET scans pick up things that are inflamed. It can't tell whether something is cancerous or not. Prior to my first lung surgery, a rib glowed pretty well. I had hit it, which led me to have an Xray, which led me to a cancer diagnosis. What led you to have these tests?

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janeellen | @janeellen | Sep 24, 2020
In reply to @janeellen "I had a PET scan and on little nodule "lit" I had NO symptoms but doctor..." + (show)
@janeellen

I had a PET scan and on little nodule "lit" I had NO symptoms but doctor suggested a biopsy. Negative. F.U CT showed another new small nodule. No symptoms. Had a bone scan-normal. Had bone marrow biopsy-normal. One doc suggested another lung biopsy, after suggested another CT. I think I can wait a year for the f/uCT scan, not five months. Do you agree? I feel totally fine. NO symptoms.

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Hi. A year ago I went to the ER as I thought I was having a heart attack. Turns out it was indigestion. But ER doctor looked at CT and honest to God acted like I had Stage IV lung cancer because there were a few nodules, which I now know are not uncommon and usually benign. But that put me on this medical merry-go-round for the past year. x-rays, CT scans, PET scan, blood test, more extensive blood tests, full bone scan, biopsy, another biopsy. All negative-I have NO symptoms And the way I was treated by some of the doctors was just rude. Honestly, I feel used and abused. I think yearly CT is appropriate, not five/six months. I'd feel differently if there were other results, or ANY symptoms.

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Merry, Alumni Mentor | @merpreb | Sep 24, 2020
In reply to @janeellen "I had a PET scan and on little nodule "lit" I had NO symptoms but doctor..." + (show)
@janeellen

I had a PET scan and on little nodule "lit" I had NO symptoms but doctor suggested a biopsy. Negative. F.U CT showed another new small nodule. No symptoms. Had a bone scan-normal. Had bone marrow biopsy-normal. One doc suggested another lung biopsy, after suggested another CT. I think I can wait a year for the f/uCT scan, not five months. Do you agree? I feel totally fine. NO symptoms.

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@janeellen- I might surprise you to know that some NSCLC's do not cause any symptoms when they are small. But this doesn't mean that you might still have cancerous lesions. How many CT scans have you had since your first one a year ago?

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Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Sep 24, 2020
In reply to @janeellen "I had a PET scan and on little nodule "lit" I had NO symptoms but doctor..." + (show)
@janeellen

I had a PET scan and on little nodule "lit" I had NO symptoms but doctor suggested a biopsy. Negative. F.U CT showed another new small nodule. No symptoms. Had a bone scan-normal. Had bone marrow biopsy-normal. One doc suggested another lung biopsy, after suggested another CT. I think I can wait a year for the f/uCT scan, not five months. Do you agree? I feel totally fine. NO symptoms.

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@janeellen, you may also be interested in this related discussion with @merpreb @sandie956 @fracturedd and others.
- Small lung nodules: How often should they be scanned / monitored? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/lungs/

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akfishinmom1 | @akfishinmom1 | Jun 19, 2021

I just recently had. CT scan that detected a 18mm groundglass sub solid nodule. Radiologist recommended a 6 month Ct scan follow up. I am concerned this is not an aggressive enough plan based on information on the internet. Requested from GP a referral to a pulmonoligist. Anxious and wondering if there are any thoughts or suggestions. Thank you

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1 reply
Moderator
Amanda Roe | @amandajro | Jun 19, 2021
In reply to @akfishinmom1 "I just recently had. CT scan that detected a 18mm groundglass sub solid nodule. Radiologist recommended..." + (show)
@akfishinmom1

I just recently had. CT scan that detected a 18mm groundglass sub solid nodule. Radiologist recommended a 6 month Ct scan follow up. I am concerned this is not an aggressive enough plan based on information on the internet. Requested from GP a referral to a pulmonoligist. Anxious and wondering if there are any thoughts or suggestions. Thank you

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Hello @akfishinmom1 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I can see you would like to connect with members who have experience with lung nodules so you will notice that I have moved your post into an existing discussion on this topic to allow you to review the previous comments and connect with members who are still active like @merpreb and @fracturedd who may be able to share more with you.

Based on what you've researched, what is the type of plan you would've expected be recommended?

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1 reply
akfishinmom1 | @akfishinmom1 | Jun 20, 2021
In reply to @amandajro "Hello @akfishinmom1 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I can see you would like to connect..." + (show)
@amandajro

Hello @akfishinmom1 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I can see you would like to connect with members who have experience with lung nodules so you will notice that I have moved your post into an existing discussion on this topic to allow you to review the previous comments and connect with members who are still active like @merpreb and @fracturedd who may be able to share more with you.

Based on what you've researched, what is the type of plan you would've expected be recommended?

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I thought because of the size and type of nodule the radiologist would have recommended a 3 month CT scan.

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1 reply
Moderator
Amanda Roe | @amandajro | Jun 20, 2021
In reply to @akfishinmom1 "I thought because of the size and type of nodule the radiologist would have recommended a..." + (show)
@akfishinmom1

I thought because of the size and type of nodule the radiologist would have recommended a 3 month CT scan.

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@akfishinmom1 it may be worth going back and asking for more information so you better understand why that was recommended and then decide if you feel a second opinion is warranted. Have you considered a second opinion?

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