Lung nodules often less serious than they sound
Undergoing imaging for one health care concern only to discover an unrelated issue can be unsettling, but that’s often the case when someone discovers they have a nodule on their lung.
A lung nodule is a spot on the lung that is more dense than normal lung tissue. They can be caused by scar tissue, irritants from the air, smoking, previous infection or even cancer. Lung nodules are often found incidentally when someone is undergoing imaging for another reason.
“We find nodules on a lot of patients who come into the ER for something completely unrelated because nodules most often don’t have symptoms,” said Kelli Hoke, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, Lung Nodule Evaluation Program Manager at Premier Health. “Someone may come in after being in a car accident and we do a chest X-ray to make sure they don’t have any broken bones and we may discover there is a nodule on their lung.”
Patients often become concerned when they learn they have a nodule, but Hoke said the diagnosis sounds worse than it often is. Nodules are found in up to half of adults who get a chest X-ray or CT scan and most nodules are benign, according to the American Thoracic Society.
“It’s a lot more common than people think because it is not a term we hear every day,” Hoke said.
Nodules can be cancerous or lead to cancer in a small percentage of individuals. For this reason, it’s important for a nodule that poses a risk of cancer to be monitored following its discovery. The size of the nodule and the person’s health history determine how often it should be monitored. Older adults who have a history of smoking or a family history of lung cancer are considered at a higher risk for a cancerous nodule, Hoke said.
Those deemed at risk for cancer will receive a repeat CT scan to see if the nodule is growing over time. The nodule’s size, shape, location, and appearance will determine how often the imaging will occur. Another imaging test called a positron emission tomography (PET) scan will be done if the nodule appears to have grown. A biopsy of the nodule may also be performed to rule out cancer, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).
Patients have a higher survival rate if their lung cancer is caught at an earlier stage through preventive screening, Hoke said. Premier Health’s lung nodule program was created when it was discovered that patients didn’t engage in follow-up care after their nodule was found.
“Many patients weren’t doing follow-up screenings because they didn’t have a primary care physician or they didn’t receive all the information they needed,” Hoke said. “We were finding a trend of individuals showing up five years later with advanced stage lung cancer because they didn’t do the follow-up screening that would have caught the disease earlier.”
Physicians both inside and outside Premier Health can refer patients to the Lung Nodule Evaluation Program. This proactive approach has already caught cancer early in some patients, leading to positive outcomes. Hoke believes the program’s educational component is just as important as its screenings.
“Anytime someone hears they have something in the lung, they automatically jump to cancer just like they would if they were told they had a mass in their abdomen or uterus,” she said. “It’s a completely normal reaction, which is why it’s important to provide patients with education on what it really means for them.”
For more information about lung nodules, or to schedule an appointment with a Premier Physician Network provider near you, visit PremierHealth.com/ MakeAnAppointment.