{"id":8539,"date":"2017-09-19T14:31:19","date_gmt":"2017-09-19T14:31:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/ehealth\/?p=8539"},"modified":"2018-01-09T21:49:56","modified_gmt":"2018-01-09T21:49:56","slug":"lung-nodules-heres-what-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/ehealth\/2017\/09\/19\/lung-nodules-heres-what-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Lung Nodules \u2013 Here\u2019s What You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you have been told you have a lung (or pulmonary) nodule,\u00a0you may be concerned about what this means for you and your\u00a0risk of developing lung cancer.<\/p>\n

Commonly called a \u201cspot on the lung\u201d or a \u201cshadow,\u201d a nodule\u00a0is a round bundle of tissue that is more dense than normal\u00a0lung tissue. It shows up as a white spot on a CT scan. Lung\u00a0nodules are usually caused by scar tissue, a healed infection\u00a0that may never have made you sick, or some irritant in the air\u00a0that affected your lungs. Sometimes a nodule can be an early\u00a0sign of lung cancer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

People may be diagnosed with a single nodule or multiple\u00a0nodules. Usually there are no symptoms associated with\u00a0pulmonary nodules.<\/p>\n

How is a lung nodule diagnosed?<\/h3>\n

\u201cLung nodules are generally seen on an X-ray or computed\u00a0tomography (CT) scan,\u201d says Frank W. Bowen, III, MD, FACS<\/a>, director of Thoracic Surgical Oncology\u00a0at MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper. \u201cNodules\u00a0are not uncommon \u2013 they are found in up to half of adults\u00a0who get a chest X-ray or CT scan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lung nodules are usually about 0.2 inches (5 millimeters) to\u00a01.2 inches (30 millimeters) in size. A larger lung nodule, one\u00a0that\u2019s 30 millimeters or larger, is more likely to be cancerous\u00a0than a smaller lung nodule.<\/p>\n

How do I know if it is cancer?<\/h3>\n

\u201cWhile only about five percent of lung nodules are cancerous,\u00a0it\u2019s very important to determine whether a nodule is a benign\u00a0tumor or an early stage of cancer, because early detection and\u00a0treatment of lung cancer can greatly enhance your survival,\u201d\u00a0says Dr. Bowen.<\/p>\n

MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper<\/a> has developed a Lung\u00a0Nodule Clinic \u2013 a program designed to help patients who\u00a0have lung nodules get answers quickly and definitively about\u00a0the status of their lung nodules and their risk of developing\u00a0lung cancer.<\/p>\n

MD Anderson Cooper Lung Nodule Clinic<\/h3>\n

\u201cAt MD Anderson Cooper, we take a highly personalized\u00a0approach to the evaluation and monitoring of lung\u00a0nodules,\u201d says Dr. Bowen.<\/p>\n

Our team consists of lung surgeons, pulmonologists and\u00a0interventional pulmonologists, radiologists, an imaging\u00a0navigator, nurse practitioners, and other pulmonary and cancer\u00a0experts. They work together to evaluate a patient\u2019s lung\u00a0nodules and develop a plan of action.<\/p>\n

Depending on your risk factors, our team may suggest simply\u00a0\u201cwatching\u201d a nodule by taking repeated X-rays over a specific\u00a0course of time or may suggest a biopsy or removal of an entire\u00a0nodule, depending on risk factors such as:<\/p>\n