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A 38-year-old female asked:

Ct scan showed very small lung nodule. i've had 3 chest x-rays prior and nothing showed on them. what happens now? how to determine if it's cancer?

3 doctor answers • 6 doctors weighed in
Dr. Bruce J. Stringer
Dr. Bruce J. Stringeranswered
Radiology 49 years experience
How Small?: If the nodule was just a few mms. The usual course of action would be to do a followup in a few months. If no change the followup period might be extended to 6 months and then a year. If the nodule showed growth there might be a ct guided needle biopsy once the nodule was big enough (8-10mms.). Remember, the great majority of such nodules are benign, usually incidental granulomas.
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Dr. Carlos Encarnacion
Dr. Carlos Encarnacionanswered
Medical Oncology 37 years experience
Depends: If the nodule is very small, it would not be seen in a plain x-ray so the fact you had 3 prior negative ones does not mean much. You may have had it undetected for years. Depending on how big it is and your clinical situation, your doc may opt to follow up with another ct scan in 6-12 months, do a pet scan, or proceed with a biopsy. Good luck and if you are a smoker, quit today.
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Dr. Troy Reyna
Dr. Bruce J. Stringer
Dr. Craig Carter
Dr. Troy Reyna and 3 doctors agree4 doctors agree
Dr. Vamsidhar Velcheti
Dr. Vamsidhar Velchetianswered
Internal Medicine - Oncology 10 years experience
See below: It depends on the size and radiographic appearance; if it is too small may be ok to follow and could potentially be benign.
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Last updated Feb 6, 2021

Found in:

Cancer›Lung nodule›Biopsy

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