NancyCJ Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 I’m new here. I have a question. Two nmonths ago I had a routine X-Ray that was clear. This week I had a lump on my neck and my doctor ordered a CT. It showed that I have two nodules in the right upper lobe of my lung. Shouldn’t the nodules have shown up on the X-Ray I had two months ago? I know doctors monitor the growth of nodules as a sign of cancer. Does this sudden growth mean anything?(BTW - I have Alpha-1 anti trypsin deficiency and emphysema). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyCJ Posted February 20, 2022 Author Share Posted February 20, 2022 I was born and raised in West Virginia. I met my husband at WVU. We will be married fifty years this summer. After college we lived in Maryland for forty-five years. We retired to The Villages, Florida in 2016. I was a State Senator for twenty years. My husband was a Certified Industrial Hygienist before retiring. We have three grown daughters and eight grandchildren. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Galli Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 Nancy, Welcome here. Nodules and their non appearance on x-rays is unfortunately a common condition for folks on this forum. First, let me be clear while you have nodules that show on a CT scan, they cannot be characterized as lung cancer. There are many reasons for the formation of pulmonary nodules and even their enlargement. Here is my go to resource that explains the many reasons for pulmonary nodules. Lung cancer can only be diagnosed by biopsy and that is likely your next medical step. Your nodule location suggests a simple minimally invasive procedure called a needle biopsy might be performed. Here is some information about thoracic needle biopsies. I do hope your biopsy yields something other than lung cancer. Stay the course. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LouT Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 Nancy, A pleasure to meet you and to hear about your history. Tom is absolutely correct that a biopsy is the gold standard to determine if a nodule is cancerous or a response to past/present infection or irritation. Please check with your doctor about the next step to determining what this is so you'll know if any next steps are even necessary. Please keep us updated after the biopsy and know that, if needed, you'll have support here. Lou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen_L Posted February 21, 2022 Share Posted February 21, 2022 Hi, Nancy, Nice to meet you. The other thing about nodules is their size. If they are below a certain size, the typical practice is to keep an eye on them until they become a certain size. (As one of my docs says, until they "declare themselves" by growing.) I don't remember the size, sorry. Here's some basic info about lung nodules. Good luck as you move through the next steps. Karen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyCJ Posted February 21, 2022 Author Share Posted February 21, 2022 On 2/20/2022 at 3:38 PM, Tom Galli said: Nancy, Welcome here. Nodules and their non appearance on x-rays is unfortunately a common condition for folks on this forum. First, let me be clear while you have nodules that show on a CT scan, they cannot be characterized as lung cancer. There are many reasons for the formation of pulmonary nodules and even their enlargement. Here is my go to resource that explains the many reasons for pulmonary nodules. Lung cancer can only be diagnosed by biopsy and that is likely your next medical step. Your nodule location suggests a simple minimally invasive procedure called a needle biopsy might be performed. Here is some information about thoracic needle biopsies. I do hope your biopsy yields something other than lung cancer. Stay the course. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyCJ Posted February 22, 2022 Author Share Posted February 22, 2022 Tom, Thank you for the great information. I see my pulmonologist next week to plan a course of action. it was good to hear that the location of the nodules will make a biopsy minimally invasive. I read everything you shared and will keep it in mind as we move forward. Thanks again. Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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