Commonly called a “spot on the lung” or a “shadow,” a nodule is a
round area that is more solid than normal lung tissue. It shows up as
a white spot on a CT scan. Lung nodules are usually caused by scar
tissue, a healed infection that may never have made you sick, or some
irritant in the air. Sometimes, a nodule can be an early lung cancer.
However, most nodules are not cancer. The best ways to
tell if a nodule is cancer are by:
1. Seeing how it looks on the CT scan.
2. Seeing whether it grows over time.
3. Taking a sample of the nodule with a needle or surgery. Most
people with a nodule will not need to have this test.
It's common for doctors to monitor a lung nodule (over time) for any changes. Once your doctor deems there are no changes, no further monitoring will be needed.
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Hello. Thank you for posting.
Commonly called a “spot on the lung” or a “shadow,” a nodule is a
round area that is more solid than normal lung tissue. It shows up as
a white spot on a CT scan. Lung nodules are usually caused by scar
tissue, a healed infection that may never have made you sick, or some
irritant in the air. Sometimes, a nodule can be an early lung cancer.
However, most nodules are not cancer. The best ways to
tell if a nodule is cancer are by:
1. Seeing how it looks on the CT scan.
2. Seeing whether it grows over time.
3. Taking a sample of the nodule with a needle or surgery. Most
people with a nodule will not need to have this test.
It's common for doctors to monitor a lung nodule (over time) for any changes. Once your doctor deems there are no changes, no further monitoring will be needed.
Helena
May 19, 2018 - 6:38amThis Comment
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