Solitary Pulmonary Nodule

[albercume]

My question is this. My brother went to the hospital and had a CT scan and they found a 5mm nodule on his lower left lobe. Everything I have researched so far online lends me to think this may be cancer at an early stage. My question is what is the signifigance of a nodule occurring in the lower left lobe versus the right lobe. Is there a difference? and why is one more susceptible then the other? Is 5mm an importnat measurement or is this at a good stage to catch something? PLease hel. My brother is 49. We lost our dad when he was 43 to pancreatic cancer.

[Davy9]

A single nodule is less likely to be cancerous than a presentation of multiple nodules. But cancer still remains a possibility. Each lung has many lobes. The right lung often gets impacted more by things going down into the lungs because the main airways leading to it have a straighter path. The airways leading to the left lung make a turn to get around the heart. This may relate to the occurrence of a nodule if the source is from an external infection or aspiration. If the source is blood bourn it could end up in either lung and in any lobe. The size of the nodule is below 10mm (1cm) which is considered a particular hallmark.

Proceed to getting it assessed and hope for the best. There are several things that cause these and many are not cancerous. Some require no treatment at all.

[albercume]

by stating its a hallmark sign -by being less than 1 cm - what do u mean?

[Davy9]

Smaller is better than larger and greater than 1cm seems to define a higher prospect for cancer.

[LungDoc]

5mm is quite small and would never have been seen well on a Chest Xray.

It is untrue that larger than 1cm is a greater chance for cancer. 1cm was a cutoff in older studies because that is what was visualized well on Chest Xrays, in the pre-CT scan era.

The lobe it appears in does not raise or lower the prospect of this being malignant.

Actually, in many cases, numerous small, subcentimeter nodules are often benign and related to inflammation or infection. The key issue in the case here is what is the patient's background. Being a smoker or someone with signigicant 2nd hand smoke exposure would put this as a higher risk nodule. Also, the size and shape of it is important. If it is 5mm, it is too small for biopsy. If he is low risk by his history, then the best thing is to simply repeat a CT scan in 4-6 months. A PET scan is not needed, as this nodule is below the current resolution capability for PET (which is 7mm).

THe fact is because of CT scans we pick up a lot of nodules that are benign and cause no problem. While it may be unsettling, take solice in the knowledge that over 90% of these are benign.

Why did your brother have a CT scan in the first place?

[Boopster4461]

Hello, Sorry to hear about your problem. I feel just great and had no chest problems, except asthma but I have medicine that keeps it in check (pretisone, abuteral and sometimes an antibotic). Other than that I have not had problems. Now, like you I am a scared about the nodule. Hope you don't mind me asking info on your discussion.///
I left a post and it has not yet been answered so I would like to ask someone on this post about my elevated growing nodule in the base of my left lung. I appreciate any info from other viewers. (lungdoc what do you think?) I am going to a specialist on the 20th but I am scared about what the doc will say. An 8mm nodule was found at the base of the left lung on a ct scan for a digestive problem. (No digestive problem was found). The doc ordered another full lung ct scan within 10 days. The 8mm nodule showed up including a haiatel hernior I didn't know about. 3 months later another ct scan was done and found that the 8mm had grown to 9mm. My PCM is sending me to the specialist for a biposy. I am an asthmatic, prior smoker (18yrs ago) and had a large invasive squamous cell cancer removed from my nose. My nose had to be rebuilt with cartilage from my ear. That was a 5 hour operation and painful to my face. Please post opinions as to wheather this nodule could be a cancer or the primary carcinoma.