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What Does My CT Scan Reports Indicate?
Question: I'm 51 years old at 49 I had a pancreatic neuroendrocrine tumor removed. In January of this year i developed several lung nodules. They were considered to difficult to count but they were all very small. They did another CT scan in April and they were still there but two had shrunk just a little. Now I was told they were stable in size I just had another CT scan done in Nov. 11 but now they are sending me to a lung cancer specialist. I dont understand why? They said they' feel I've had them too long. From everything I'm reading they wont be able to biopsy them. Why do they need to be checked at all if they're small? I also have RA I'm assuming these stupid things are from my RA still dont understand if they are stable and small why the pancreatic dr. wants them checked. Any ideas?
Brief Answer:
Malignancy needs to be ruled out
Detailed Answer:
Hello and Welcome
I appreciate your concern
The main concern for your physician is ruling out malignancy. In low risk patients i.e less than 35 years age with no history of smoking , repeat CT, x rays are done every three months to assess the nodules. If the nodules are calcified, show no changes overtime then the follow up can be stopped after two years.
However, in high risk patients i.e greater than 50 years age, smoker with lung nodules, an open lung biopsy with removal of the nodule/ nodules is preferred. Even if the patient is a non smoker, if the nodules are suspicious in this age group with a prior history of malignancy, the biopsy can still be advised for diagnosis.
Wishing you best of health
Thanks
Let me know if you have any query
Please consult your doctor before deciding on any further course of action.
For future follow up / correspondence you may ask me directly at the link given below
http://doctor.healthcaremagic.com/Funnel?page=askDoctorDirectly&docId=68107
Malignancy needs to be ruled out
Detailed Answer:
Hello and Welcome
I appreciate your concern
The main concern for your physician is ruling out malignancy. In low risk patients i.e less than 35 years age with no history of smoking , repeat CT, x rays are done every three months to assess the nodules. If the nodules are calcified, show no changes overtime then the follow up can be stopped after two years.
However, in high risk patients i.e greater than 50 years age, smoker with lung nodules, an open lung biopsy with removal of the nodule/ nodules is preferred. Even if the patient is a non smoker, if the nodules are suspicious in this age group with a prior history of malignancy, the biopsy can still be advised for diagnosis.
Wishing you best of health
Thanks
Let me know if you have any query
Please consult your doctor before deciding on any further course of action.
For future follow up / correspondence you may ask me directly at the link given below
http://doctor.healthcaremagic.com/Funnel?page=askDoctorDirectly&docId=68107
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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