Should I Be Worried About a Lung Nodule?

What should I expect at lung nodule evaluation?

At MedStar Health Cancer Network, our pulmonary and thoracic experts evaluate and monitor lung nodules at our dedicated Lung Nodule Clinic in Baltimore. When you schedule your initial visit, our dedicated nurse navigator will ask you a few questions about your prior chest scans. If you received your test results outside of MedStar Health, she will also request those be sent to us for review.

During your appointment, our team of lung and thoracic specialists will:

• Discuss your medical history
• Review your CT images
• Calculate your risks
• Monitor lung nodule growth or changes
• Establish a personalized diagnostic and surveillance plan

How your care team will determine if your lung nodule is cancerous.

To determine if your lung nodule is cancerous, your care team will thoroughly review your medical history, including your risk factors for developing lung cancer, such as:

• Being a smoker
• Having a family history of lung cancer
• Exposure to second-hand smoke
• Prolonged exposure to certain gases (e.g. radon)

A team of experts will also carefully inspect your CT scans to better understand the size and location of your lung nodule. If it is small, it is unlikely that they will perform any additional tests or biopsies. However, if your lung nodule is large or suspicious, they may perform surgical and non-surgical biopsies to evaluate for cancer. At MedStar Health Cancer Network in Baltimore, we offer the newest and most promising technologies for early diagnosis of lung nodules, including:

• The Intuitive Ion Robotic-Assisted Bronchoscopy for performing minimally invasive biopsies of tissue anywhere in the lungs
• Endobronchial Ultrasound, a minimally invasive outpatient procedure for obtaining tissue or fluid samples from the lungs and surrounding lymph nodes with less pain and risk than traditional lung biopsies

All results are reviewed by our multidisciplinary team of experts. This includes board-certified thoracic surgeons, radiologists, and pulmonologists, so you can expect an accurate and timely diagnosis. When treatment is necessary, our comprehensive treatment plans range from complex surgeries to clinical trials and advanced therapies that are hard to find elsewhere.

Continue to seek follow-up care to monitor your lung nodule.

Regardless of the size of your lung nodule, your doctor will create a plan to monitor how your lung nodule evolves. Most patients with lung nodules will schedule periodic follow-up appointments at 3-, 6-, or 12-month intervals to see if the lung nodule grows or changes over time. This ensures your care team can catch any signs of lung cancer early—or provide peace of mind that you don’t have cancer.

How to minimize your risk of lung cancer.

The best thing you can do to reduce your risk of developing a cancerous lung nodule or lung cancer is to quit smoking. Because smoking is the primary cause of lung cancer in the U.S., quitting could save your life. From prescription drugs to virtual counseling classes, we’re here to support you. Talk to your doctor about saying goodbye to smoking for good.

And, if you’re eligible for lung cancer screenings, don’t delay. A low-dose CT scan can detect early signs of cancer, such as a lung nodule. And, it just might save your life.