Anyone been told they have lung nodules during routine testing?

Yes! About 10-15 years ago, I had a CT scan for something else and they saw a nodule on my lung. They told me that it was “an artifact” and not to worry about it. I have never followed up with it because they assured me that it wasn’t anything to be concerned about. Hope that they were right!

My CTs, same thing….they are called ‘’incidentalomas’’…docs check several CTs over time, looking for stability or change…sometimes nodules come from our past- like a bad flu or bronchitis… if you are in cancer treatment, they can have a different meaning. Watchful waiting is the common response, unless you have some respiratory symptoms.

@mabfp3
Do you remember how big it was? Mine was 3 mm.

@fotula No, I don’t remember how big it was.

@fotula For reference, 3mm is less than the size of lead in a fine point mechanical pencil, less than 1/8 inch. You can understand these are too small to biopsy, so watching is the prudent path.
Most pulmonologists use the combination of size and your health history to decide how often to do a CT. It is a balancing act - weighing risk of additional radiation against risk of the nodule being malignant.
My lungs are imaged once every 2 years now because my lung disease is considered stable.

@snuzq1 Canadian here. Appointments here take long to schedule, life is short, so go to Portugal as planned and enjoy yourself.

If you can afford to fly back from Portugal earlier than your scheduled return flight in the event you get an earlier appointment, all the more reason to go for it. Carpe Diem!

@sueinmn I had my initial diagnosis of stage 4 appendix cancer in August 2021 (4 years ago). Since my 1st diagnostic CT scan I had nodules show up on my lungs. They’ve been there ever since, with no changes. They are one thing carefully monitored in my PET-CT scans.

I recently changed from quarterly to 6 monthly scans (risk of scan radiation causing blood cancer outweighed by my recurrence risks and aggressiveness of my cancer), but with blood tests (canary in the coal mine) still quarterly.

My lung nodules have also never been biopsied, just monitored.

Yes, numerous pulmonary nodules. They began in the lower lobes. When the CT was repeated in 3 months more nodules, now in both lower, upper and eventually all 5 lobes. Had a bronchoscopy, they were biopsied. A MAC infected was discovered from the bronchoscopy cultures. Now taking antibiotics for the MAC infection. =)

Yes, I’ve had a couple of crazy stressful weeks ..first find out. I have a .05 mm (small )melanoma on my leg, which they did dig up 10 days ago. Need to get a skin graft on it. Hopefully margins are clear will find out Thursday.. Then from a routine ultrasound Find out that there’s something on my neck by my thyroid turns out through a CAT scan with contrast they say that it was Not abnormal findings, so those have to be watched, ( 15 yrs ago had 1/2 thyroid removed ) non cancerous but my choice to remove.. anyway but with that CAT scan, which I didn’t see on the report until the second time I read it the very end it said Lung Apices: III- defined ground glass nodules within the right lung Apex measuring Up to 0.8 cm recommended CAT scan, which I am going for on the 10th. I had a cardiac scoring in July all was good ( got a O) but a week later i came down with Covid! I was pretty sick with a bad cough it lasted weeks. I wondering if this all could because of that. The cat scan of my neck was taking the end of August. What do you think? History in my 60’s former smoker quit 38 years ago

@gigisthename Not a doctor here, but very familiar with "ground glass nodules". These are opacities which often occur during a lung infection, and linger afterwards. They are considered an "artifact" - a grayish or shadowy area, either fluid or scar tissue, that usually go away. The CT should easily confirm that and set your mind at ease.

Cardiac scoring is leading to incidental discovery of many lung conditions, many of which need no attention. In your case, that clear CT a few months ago is reassuring, because it means Covid probably is the cause of your current opacities.

Let us know, please, what you learn. I hope you get good news on the leg biopsy as well.