Multiple lung nodules: Might they be noncancerous? What next?

Hello All, I haven't been on for a while, playing the waiting game but finally went to a UCLA pulmonologist for a second opinion of my 12mm ground glass nodule and should be hearing back soon. Have two other nodules 4mm and 6mm, UCLA thinks the 4mm is calcifying so probably scar tissue and the 6mm may a limp node. Next Thursday they are going to present my case to their bi-weekly nodule group of doctors and decide if a needle biopsy should be done. The radiologist at UCLA seems to think it may have grown slightly vs my previous radiologist that says it hasn't. I've been told the needle biopsies carry a significant amount of risk (collapsed lung) but the nodule is in the very outer edge of the lower left lung so pulmonologist said shouldn't be too hard to get to. Anyone want to share needle biopsy experience? Very best to all of you!

You may not want to hear this...I have had a few and all but one no problem. I did have a collapsed lung for one and it was caught immediately and I was returned to the room where the biopsy had been done and had tube put into my lung. Spent the night in the hospital and was discharged next day after the doctor took the tubing out. That is a second of unpleasantness but to me that second was the worst of it all.....have been tubed since and just start to sing and do deep breathing as I knew it was coming....

When you have a lung biopsy or bronchoscopy they keep you for a few hours to make sure all is well. If there is pain (I only had pain on the collapsed lung one) they will ask you your pain level from 1-10...Then they will do some sort of xray or CT scan to see if lung collapsed....I honestly was very groggy so short on details....I do not remember any pain being intubated....be honest about the pain level.

Good morning; No . I'm going for 2 nd opinion Pulmonologist Monday to hear. I m asking for a PET scan since I only had a CT scan. What does a PET show that CT might not.?

This is from the Mayo clinic...https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/pet-scan/about/pac-20385078

More questions;
If my 8mm nodule grows ,3 months from now in a Ct & PET scan , how do they biopsy it ,being so dangerous. My regular doctor said " at 83 you probably cant take surgery ,too risky, so we have to get a specialist in for reccomendations"
How do they radiate a small nodule..in right upper lobe..

@jamineibs- I can't believe your timing on your post! Didn't you just swarm me with the sweetest and loveliest post? Thank you with all of my heart. Surviving is all about hope! Isn't it just honorable?

John- It makes me happy to hear that you will be seeing another doctor. Dede shared a site that you should look at about PET scans. The difference between a PET scan and CT is its purpose.

A CT scan can be used to visualize nearly all parts of the body and is used to diagnose disease or injury as well as to plan medical, surgical, or radiation treatment.

A PET scan can help reveal the metabolic or biochemical function of your tissues and organs. The PET scan uses a radioactive drug (tracer) to show both normal and abnormal metabolic activity. Cancer throws off energy and the radioactive injection will light up on the scan indicating that something is injured or needs further attention, like cancer.

I will be very interested to hear what your new doctor has to say. Your appointment is this Monday, right?

I had a needle biopsy, mid upper left lung. The procedure was by my pulmonologist, which surprised the thoracic surgeon. I had an extreme amount of anxiety leading up to it. I have had many surgeries in my life, but not many on a vital organ. After some light sedation med to relax, the procedure was done laying on my side on a CT table. They numbed the area and began with a few scans, next began inserting the needle/tube a little bit at a time going back and forth for scans making sure the needle was headed to the nodule. At a couple intervals in the back and forth she added more local numbing meds as insertion continued. Once she was in the nodule a tool was inserted into the tube to the nodule to bite out a few chucks. They got some from the middle and edges. Within a day, I knew the results.

When I had the wedge resection surgery to remove two of the nodules, because they were small and ground glass, they had to insert a tracer into them before the surgery. Same type of procedure, but putting in instead of taking out. That one they did numb up the area a few times, but did not give me any relaxing medicine first. Super freaky, but I managed by thinking about about a really great memory from a couple days prior. I decided then, from now on if I have something major coming up, make sure to have some great fresh memories to recall and help carry me through. And also reminding myself, the Lord didn’t make it possible to find these nodules early only to drop me during a procedure.
This 50 year old grandma will continue to fight. Best wishes to you on your journey. I hope if you have to biopsy they find out it is nothing.

I will let you know more about this next week after my CT scan....I had bronchoscopies and biopsies when first diagnosed and I am not sure why I had so many different diagnostic procedures (3 growths back then...) but I think one of the nodules then (as now) was somewhere on my right lung. It was not cancer then. I hope you are working with a cancer facility like Mayo, Moffitt (me), MD Anderson, Sloan Kettering. Good luck to us both.