Can someone please help me interepret my chest CT scan in detail?

Hi Ingegerd, You mentioned that you had ground glass findings that disappeared? Can you tell me more about that please? I have four GG nodules detected on a recent CT scan. Big surprise for me and I am very worried about them. Range in size from 4-5 mm to 6-7mm. Round, ground glass density, Indistinct margins. The LUNG/Rads category assigned to them is 2. They recommend repeat scan in 12 months. That seems like an awfully long time to me. How many did you have and what size if I may ask and also if they disappeared what was the time frame in which that happened. Thanks so much for your insight. I hope you are doing well.

I have GGNs that were present at the diagnosis of my mucinous adenocarcinoma in 2010. They remain unchanged in almost 14 years.

They can be caused by exposure to chemical fumes, allergens, exposure to a fungus called histoplasmosis, asthma, chest infections like cold or flu, air pollution and more. 95% of them never become a problem. Many disappear on their own, others never change. They are semisolid so it is not possible to get a piece of them during a biopsy.

They watch them though because about 5% will start to become solid which means they are becoming cancerous. I had new ones appear and take 7 years before they started turning solid and 4 more years before one was large enough to biopsy.

Hi Denzie, Thank you so much for your reply! It is helpful to know that they are common and that yours have remained unchanged for 14 years! I have been learning that they are difficult to biopsy and just starting to hear more about new blood biomarker tests (liquid biopsy) that can help distinguish whether or not they are malignant. Have you heard anything about these tests? There is alot of literature that states true GGNs are often over treated and a watchful wait approach is wiser. I just discovered last week I have four GGNs and am only at the beginning of this "nodule surveillance" journey. I'm struggling to think of anything else at this point and mentally this has really affected my life, my outlook, anxiety level, fear of the future, etc. How do you cope with that? Any insight on that issue from you or anyone else who's been dealing with this alot longer than me would be greatly appreciated. I've thought about starting a new post on that issue! Thanks again for your reply. It helps just to have others to talk to about this... The club no one really wants to be in. 🙂 Wishing you good health!

I am in that same situation. I am in watchful waiting with every-six-month CT followups. I have multiple pure ground glass nodules. Becuase of their size/shape/opacity/edges, the surgeon and radiation oncologist have set a path of 6-month CT's for 2 years; anything suspicious arises and we switch to 3-month CD's. treatment would be robot-assisted targeted radiation, great strides are being made in this area. I would like to avoid surgery.
I managed all this better - after freaking out - when I found my radiation oncologist who has been steadfast, and confident & supportive. This does not remove all fear but it helps greatly because I have a plan. At first I did a ton of research and I still do keep up with new treatments. I gained a great deal from a site called Lungevity and the group there offers mentoring and peer relating....s

I am in that same situation. I am in watchful waiting with every-six-month CT followups. I have multiple pure ground glass nodules. Becuase of their size/shape/opacity/edges, the surgeon and radiation oncologist have set a path of 6-month CT's for 2 years; anything suspicious arises and we switch to 3-month CD's. treatment would be robot-assisted targeted radiation, great strides are being made in this area. I would like to avoid surgery.
I managed all this better - after freaking out - when I found my radiation oncologist who has been steadfast, and confident & supportive. This does not remove all fear but it helps greatly because I have a plan. At first I did a ton of research and I still do keep up with new treatments. I gained a great deal from a site called Lungevity and the group there offers mentoring and peer relating....s

@bsi15, you're correct. People should remove any personal identifying information before uploading an imaging study to a public forum like Mayo Clinic Connect. This includes removing first and last name, MRN (medical record number), date of birth, location, instituation, etc.

With that information removed, you are free to post imaging studies and test results for discussion. Keep in mind, that Mayo Clinic Connect is an online patient community where people share their experiences, exchange helpful tips and information, and give and get support on their health journeys. Experiences and information shared by members on the Mayo Clinic Connect are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See more in the Community Guidelines https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/about-connect/tab/community-guidelines/

As a programmer with experience in computer-image-processing, I can see your keen interest in finding answers through large data sets. While the patient community is not the place to securely collect patient data and all encompassing data sets, you'll be pleased to know that Mayo Clinic is a leader in collaborating with other institutions to analyze large datasets. See more info about The Mayo Clinic Platform_Discover https://www.mayoclinicplatform.org/discover/