7 lung nodules 2 months ago ct scan. Started with 2 within 18 months ended with7. Largest 9mm smallest 2.3
All noncalcified 2 irregular margins largest and smallest appear like hazy clouds. And 2 new ones appear to contain airways which may represent consolidation or atelectasis. 5 on right lung upper lobe and 2 on left 1 is lll and the other in inferior margin of lingula. Saw pulmonologist in seattle go again repeat ct and she talked about bronchial washings. Never heard of this before. Radiologist report said with multiplicity bronchiolalveolar cell carcinoma and metastases should be considered. Never had any of the previous reports said this just repeat ct scan. Needless to say I am not afaird it is what it is. I smoked for over 35years and I can only blame me. Anyway I am coughing up copious amounts of mucous every morning white thick foamy bubbly crap to the point of vomiting short of breathe and tired all the time just started with that when we had all that crappy foggy weather here in seattle. So what do you all think?
just wondering - 1267681
germangirl
![]()
Posts:5
Forums
Reply # - December 25, 2014, 10:07 PM
Reply To: just wondering
As stated earlier I said I have 7 nodules all non calcified sorry only 4 are the other 3 are described as with irregular margin one with opacityp
Reply # - December 26, 2014, 05:10 AM
Hi germangirl,
Hi germangirl,
Welcome to GRACE. I am sorry to hear of your scan findings and troublesome symptoms. Although all of this can be caused by something other than cancer, the situation certainly requires further workup. What your pulmonologist is suggesting is a procedure to collect affected cells in order that they can be tested for cancer. A biopsy of this or another type is the only way to confirm if this is cancer.
It may be helpful to read Dr. Silvestri's post on General Work-up and Staging of Lung Cancer: What Do You Need to Know?
Good luck with the procedure, and please let us know if you have further questions.
JimC
Forum moderator
Reply # - December 26, 2014, 11:51 AM
Thanks Jim for responding.
Thanks Jim for responding. So from my understanding that most nodules that are mm not cm probably aren't cancer. In reality I am quite sick of ct scans I have had so many that I feel it's a waste of my time and tgeirs. I am a survivor of 10yrs post ARDS I have had asthma and chronic bronchitis since age 10 I am now 61. When younger I ran track as I got older ran long distance. Started smoking in college seemed to be preveleant anyway myself only to blame. I am really sick of seeing doctors and again would rather not let them do to much as I am afaird of another incidence of ARDS. Mine was caused by pneumonia. So I guess in my own mind it probably isn't cancer just struck me what the radiologist said. But what the pulmonologist said to me bothered me she needs to learn bedside techniques she asked if I was afaird I said no and her reply was most people are by the time they come to see me. If we all are so fearful of what a doctor says then life wouldn't be worth living. Again thank you for your time.
Reply # - December 26, 2014, 02:35 PM
Hi germangirl,
Hi germangirl,
I don't think you can really say that small nodules "probably aren't cancer". It's more accurate to say that many people have small nodules that show up on scans but aren't cancer, and that nodules that do not grow over time are usually not cancer. Also, small nodules are difficult to biopsy.
It is also possible to have a very slow-growing cancer which may be left better untreated but monitored. Dr. West has a post in which he describes an algorithm for decision-making in such situations: http://cancergrace.org/lung/2013/01/20/mf-bac-algorithm/
JimC
Forum moderator
Reply # - December 26, 2014, 02:58 PM
I hope your nodules are
I hope your nodules are benign but I do encourage you to find out. I also wanted to say that you shouldn't blame yourself. NO ONE deserves lung cancer - if, indeed, that's what it is. Good luck!
Reply # - December 26, 2014, 05:02 PM
Thank you Jim and Sherry. I
Thank you Jim and Sherry. I read the article by Dr.West and am impressed. I am certainly hoping that they ar benign and have not gotten any bigger or any new ones. I am not a fan of seeing the dr. Infact I was suppose to go back in July of this year and didn't go becuz I found it bothersome the heat feels like it sucks all the air out of my lungs and then 2 months ago I become sob with little exertion so I decided with my daughters persistent urgings to go back and find out. So to appease them I am. It's not the idea that it might be cancer that scares me it's the procedure that scares me because my lungs have collapsed on the lower lobes and I don't want any further complications. Sherry you sound like a trooper with all that you have been thru and I will keep you in my prayers.
Reply # - December 26, 2014, 07:01 PM
I would agree that it makes
I would agree that it makes sense to have enough attentive follow-up to clarify whether any of these nodules are changing over time or whether some are growing. We are very reassured by stability of nodules over time, but any interval progression does merit further work-up. I appreciate the hassle and stress of all of the follow-up , but it's better to know and address whatever is happening, or else be reassured that nothing is happening.
Good luck.
-Dr. West
Reply # - December 26, 2014, 08:20 PM
Dr. West I appreciate your
Dr. West I appreciate your feed back My main concern is that it scares me that the pulmonologist wants to do a bronchoscopy and I am afaird of another incidence of total lung collapse not the diagnosis of cancer. As both of my lungs have collapsed on the lower lobes and I don't want them to totally collapse from a bronchoscopy as I have had ARDS 10years ago. I can't even run 1/2 mile anymore with my dogs I use to do that 3 times a day. Is there a remote chance of total lung collapse from bronchoscopy. Needless to say I am going next month. Thank you for your time. And I might also consider a 2nd opinion.
Reply # - December 27, 2014, 08:15 AM
Yes, there is a chance,
Yes, there is a chance, though only a small one, of a collapsed lung after a bronchoscopy. It sounds like you might well benefit from that second opinion, given that if the second opinion also favors bronchoscopy, you'd likely feel the reassurance that it's really the right way to go, even if nobody can say it's risk-free. No procedure is completely risk-free.
Good luck.
-Dr. West