8 mm lung nodule possible malignancy: What should I do?

I’m scheduled for segmentectomy at Mayo on Oct. 10. 9mm nodule grew by 1 mm at ct scan last week.
My cat scans and even a negative bronchoscope with lymph tests have revealed no lymphadenopathy. I’m hoping this holds true at pathology exam following surgery.
How was recovery for segmentectomy? Does your case resemble mine in any way? Thanks.

I was blessed due to early stage 1A that my situation only required Segmentectomy removal. All tests showed no other cancer. No other treatments at this time.

Welcome @dwcar. I saw in another post that you were 12 weeks from surgery at that time. Are you having any other treatments, beside surgery?

Hi @ready2talk2000, Have you learned any more about the nodules seen on the last CT scan? Has your doctor outlined the next steps?

CT found 1.5 cm nodule and I immediately scheduled a pulmonologist specializing in lung nodules and biopsies. It was NSCLC stage 1A adenocarcinoma malignant. It was removed by robotic Segmentectomy. Best wishes with your journey.

The first 5 mm nodule was discovered when I had a chest CT in 2022 as a follow-up to a chest x-ray a month earlier that showed an opacity in an area of the chest.
The follow-up chest CT said I had a 5 mm ground-glass nodule in the right lung.
Since that time I have had 3 mo, 6 mo, and this last time I waited 12 months since things appeared to be improving. However, the 12 mo chest ct I just had Aug. 14 of this month showed two 3 mm nodules and a new 8 mm nodule.
My mom died of kidney cancer at age 53. She only lived 9 months after diagnosis.
I have a big family history of heart attacks, stroke, and cancer.
I've already been diagnosed with Stage 1 heart failure, but doing pretty well. I turn 67 this month.
I promised myself that I would never ignore anything just hoping it got better and these issues are not something I want to play around with.
Thank you so much for your reply. It does help not feeling alone in this.
Take care,
Deb

Will try to send PET SCAN
results.
No therapy for now, but may restart target drug in 6 weeks accepting side effect profile once again, since target drug is still being productive, by keeping cancer in check with no progression.

Hi @hatterasj10202 , These drugs can be powerful, and sometimes they are too much for the other systems in our bodies to handle. I'm sorry that you had to discontinue the targeted therapies. Are you on any treatment at this time? Would you like to share the results of your recent PET scan?

I’ve been on targeted therapy twice, TEPMETKO. However had to discontinue treatment due to intolerable side effects. If you browse the drug I mentioned you’ll see how difficult it is to tolerate.
Diagnosed 2021 and ended second course of Tepmetko 4 weeks ago. PET SCAN scheduled for 9/4. Hoping despite side effect profile, it kept my cancer at bay🤞

Thanks for your responses….shall update after scan.

I watched a nodule increase over 4 years from 6mm to 14mm and only then had surgery to remove it - Losing a lobe of my lung in the process. So based only on my experience, I would suggest you ask for an oncologist consult now. It may be that the insurance company has guidelines re how big it has to be before they will pay for intervention. It’s too small to biopsy now in all likelihood. But I would be asking whether it can be eradicated now - perhaps via radiation ablation - and if not why not.
I have RA and watched mine grow for 4 years thinking it was nothing to worry about - an RA nodule everyone thought. It moved at a snail’s pace of 1mm a year until the last year when it jumped 5mm. I suggest you don’t do that. Now I’m looking over my shoulder to see if it spread without detection - yet.

Good luck!!