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← Return to NSCLC Lung Cancer: Ground glass on 1 year scan, should I be concerned?
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NSCLC Lung Cancer: Ground glass on 1 year scan, should I be concerned?
Lung Cancer | Last Active: Dec 8, 2022 | Replies (7)Comment receiving replies
Begs the question..."When should we be concerned and when should be just not worry about it and move on?"
My wife has been a NSCLC patient since 2015 and has recently decided to discontinue her chemo. Both her Mayo oncologogist and her local oncologist concur that the chemo has done its job and she should now enjoy life for however long she has on this earth.
Now her sister has had a scan indicating several small nodules in her lungs, and her pulmonologist says "lets scan again in a year and see"....she is rightfully concerned and is asking what the correct stratedgy be?
He nodules are miniscule at 1 and 2 mm as I recall....don't know if they can even be treated at that size.
When should she go see an oncologist? She has a history of breast cancer.
Replies to "Begs the question..."When should we be concerned and when should be just not worry about it..."
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That's a good question, Burrkay. I think the answer is that your sister-in-law needs to ask more questions. Waiting for a year might be the exact right thing to do, but getting answers about why would help give her confidence in the decision.
Lung nodules can be cancerous, but most are not. Read more here: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lung-cancer/expert-answers/lung-nodules/faq-20058445
But she is rightly concerned, especially given her sister's experience. I would ask things like:
- Are the lung nodules considered small?
- Are they slow growing?
- Should I be scanned sooner than 1 year?
- What are the pros and cons of getting scanned more frequently?
- Am I at high or higher risk for lung cancer? (due personal and family history of cancer)
- Should I see an oncologist?
- Might this be metastasis?