Nodules and satellite ground glass density 1 year after NSCLC - 1255614

hopefulny
Posts:2

My mom (59 years old) just had her 1 year CT Scan after having her left upper lobe removed and adjuvent chemotheraphy for Stage IIa NSCLC. There is NED, however, the CT Scan showed a new satellite ground glass density in her right lower lobe of "questionable" significance. Is this indication that the cancer could possibly be back in my mom's right lung now? Are there further tests she should consider taking?

Also, the CT Scan showed 3 nodules (2 at 2mm and 1 at 3mm) that have remained unchanged since her last CT Scan 6 months ago.

I'd greatly appreciate any advice or comments on this topic. Thank you.

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Reply # - April 12, 2013, 06:39 PM

JimC
Posts: 2753

There are plenty of lung nodules that do not represent cancer, especially if they are very small, and the main feature of nodules that are cancer is that they grow over time. So it is good that the 3 nodules which appeared on the scan six months ago have not grown; that makes it much less likely that they are cancerous.

You didn't say how large the ground glass density is, but if it is small her doctor may simply elect to watch it over time to see what happens.

You may want to refer to this two post by Dr. West for a background information:

http://cancergrace.org/lung/2007/11/10/risk-of-ca-among-spns/

I hope that the recent scan findings are nothing of significance.

JimC
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Reply # - April 13, 2013, 01:03 AM

Dr West
Posts: 4735

The stable nodules aren't particularly worrisome. Not only are very tiny nodules common and rarely cancer, but the stability over time is reassuring, making it even less likely that these represent cancer.

The new hazy area is "questionable", which is exactly what they mean. It could possibly represent an area of cancer, but this is also what a little inflammation or small area of infection would look like. We usually look for interval change or resolution over time, repeating a scan a few months later (the interval depending on the level of suspicion and physician judgment, with no hard rules), sometimes giving antibiotics in between if there's some reason to be suspicious that infection might be a cause.

Good luck.

-Dr. West

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