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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Is It Dangerous To Have Nodule On Lung?

my husbands doctor found a nodule on his lung 5 weeks ago. He had a CT scan with injection and last week a PET scan. Dr. told us today it is probably malignant but wants to do a lung biopsy. What will the biopsy show that the PET scan didn t. This has been a very long 5 weeks. Thank you
Tue, 9 Dec 2014
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Pulmonologist,  's  Response
Thanks for your question on HCM.
I want to ask you few questions first.
1. Age of your husband.
2. Is he smoker or not.
Nodule in lung needs thorough investigation. Depending on the CT THORAX appearance, age and smoking habit, probability of malignancy can be predicted.
If nodule has
1. Larger size (more than 1 cm)
2. Irregular margins
3. Devoid of calcification
4. Associated lymphnodes etc
In a smoker patient with age more than 50 years, possibility of malignant nodule is high.
And biopsy is needed to confirm the diagnosis of malignant nodule.
Biopsy gives tissue diagnosis and if it says malignancy than it is 100% confirm diagnosis.
PET scan can show positive uptake in infection, inflammation and malignancy. So to rule out all these biopsy is needed.
So go and get done biopsy.
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Is It Dangerous To Have Nodule On Lung?

Thanks for your question on HCM. I want to ask you few questions first. 1. Age of your husband. 2. Is he smoker or not. Nodule in lung needs thorough investigation. Depending on the CT THORAX appearance, age and smoking habit, probability of malignancy can be predicted. If nodule has 1. Larger size (more than 1 cm) 2. Irregular margins 3. Devoid of calcification 4. Associated lymphnodes etc In a smoker patient with age more than 50 years, possibility of malignant nodule is high. And biopsy is needed to confirm the diagnosis of malignant nodule. Biopsy gives tissue diagnosis and if it says malignancy than it is 100% confirm diagnosis. PET scan can show positive uptake in infection, inflammation and malignancy. So to rule out all these biopsy is needed. So go and get done biopsy.