Since 1995 - Non Profit Healthcare Advice

Lung nodule

05/15/2007

Question:

My husband was told he has some small nodules in his lung. They want to wait and then have another xray to see if they go away. Can they just disappear? He`s very concerned but doesn`t know the right questions to ask. He couldn`t even tell me what a nodule was… I had to look it up. Now he thinks he`s dieing!!!! Can you give me some info. on lung nodules (by the way he`s not a smoker).

Answer:

You and your husband need to know that the majority of adults in the Ohio River Valley have a lung nodule seen on CT scan. Just over 60% of adults in our screening CT program had nodules. The majority are under 5mm in size, can be safely followed and 99/100 of these small nodules are not cancer.

Benign nodules can go away or they can stay the same. If a nodule does not grow over a period of 2 years on serial x-rays it is labeled benign and no longer requires following.

If your husband is not a smoker he is at low risk for primary lung cancer.

For more information:

Go to the Lung Center health topic.