The most common causes of lung nodules are inflamed tissue due to an infection or inflammation (called granulomas) or benign lung tumors (such as hamartomas). Less common, malignant lung nodules are typically caused by lung cancer or other cancers that have spread to the lungs (metastatic cancer).
Benign lung nodules can be caused by inflammation from a number of conditions. They include: Bacterial infections, such as tuberculosis and pneumonia. Fungal infections, such as histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis or aspergillosis.
However, your doctor may suspect a lung nodule is cancerous if it grows quickly or has ridged edges. Even if your doctor believes the nodule is benign or noncancerous, he or she may order follow-up chest scans for some time to monitor the nodule and identify any changes in size, shape or appearance.
About 40 percent of pulmonary nodules turn out to be cancerous. Half of all patients treated for a cancerous pulmonary nodule live at least five years past the diagnosis. But if the nodule is one centimeter across or smaller, survival after five years rises to 80 percent.
The most common cause of multiple lung nodules is metastatic cancer. Providers will usually start by looking for the primary (original) tumor.
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.
Lung nodules are fairly common and usually aren't cause for concern. Still, it can be alarming to learn that you have a spot on your lung. Fortunately, the majority of lung nodules aren't a sign of lung cancer. A noncancerous condition causes the abnormal growth.
Benign (noncancerous) pulmonary lung nodules require no treatment. Cancerous lung nodules, however, usually are surgically removed. The procedures used depend on the size, condition and location of the nodule.
And, if you're eligible for lung cancer screenings, don't delay. A low-dose CT scan can detect early signs of cancer, such as a lung nodule.
Most lung nodules don't cause any symptoms and are often found on a chest X-ray or CT scan performed for another reason. If symptoms are present, they may include: Coughing. Coughing up blood.
While the overall survival of the participants was 80 percent, the survival rate for the 139 participants with nonsolid cancerous lung nodules and the 155 participants with nodules that had a partly solid consistency was 100 percent. For the 991 participants with solid nodules, the survival rate was 73 percent.
Nodules greater than 10 mm in diameter should be biopsied or removed due to the 80 percent probability that they are malignant. Nodules greater than 3 cm are referred to as lung masses.
In the vast majority of cases, lung nodules turn out to be small benign scars, indicating the site of a previous small area of infection. These nodules may be permanent or may even spontaneously disappear by the time of the next scan. Most are of absolutely no consequence.
The location of the lung nodule may guide the care team in evaluating possible risk, and studies indicate that nodules in the upper lobe may be more indicative of cancer. However, not all nodules in the upper region of the lung are cancerous, and not all nodules located elsewhere are benign.
Treatment for lung nodules may range from a “watchful waiting” approach for benign nodules, to surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy for malignant nodules. If the nodule is benign, your physician will monitor the nodule periodically with CT scans, to determine if any changes in size or shape have occurred.
Lung biopsy procedures are not usually painful and have few risks that doctors associate with them. A doctor will only recommend a lung biopsy procedure to support their diagnosis. For example, if a person has smaller lung nodules, a biopsy may be too risky and difficult to justify.
Tumors that are generally larger than three centimeters (1.2 inches) are called masses. If your tumor is three centimeters or less in diameter, it's commonly called a nodule.
Treatment for a cancerous nodule
A doctor may request a thoracotomy to remove a cancerous nodule. This surgical procedure involves removing the nodule through an incision in the chest wall. Additional treatments for cancerous lung nodules may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and other surgical interventions.
Nodules felt to be benign or caused by infection may be treated with antibiotics and/or observed with a repeat CT scan 8 weeks later to be certain the nodule is not growing larger.
Your Recovery
It is common to feel tired for 6 to 8 weeks after surgery. Your chest may hurt and be swollen for up to 6 weeks. It may ache or feel stiff for up to 3 months. For up to 3 months, you may also feel tightness, itching, numbness, or tingling around the cut (incision) the doctor made.
These are often referred to as nodules on x-ray. Surgery with this limited extent of disease can result in 80-90% cure rates. As the tumor spreads into the lymph nodes of the lung, then the chest, and then to other parts of the body, the staging number increases. The higher the stage, the less the chance for cure.
A CT scan usually isn't enough to tell whether a lung nodule is a benign tumor or a cancerous lump. A biopsy is the only way to confirm a lung cancer diagnosis.
Multiple synchronous lung nodules are frequently encountered on computed tomography (CT) scanning of the chest and are most commonly either non-neoplastic or metastases from a known primary malignancy. The finding may initiate a search for primary malignancy elsewhere in the body.
You may need to take it easy at home for a day or two after the procedure. For 1 week, try to avoid heavy lifting and strenuous activities. These activities could cause bleeding from the biopsy site. It can take several days to get the results of the biopsy.