Examination reveals pulmonary nodules
Will it grow bigger and bigger?
Do I need surgical intervention?
Will it become cancerous?
I am afraid that the lung nodule has become a heart knot for many people!
Recently, "Li Live • Famous Doctor Consultation" specially invited Chen Liang, chief physician of the Department of Thoracic Surgery of Jiangsu Provincial People's Hospital, to answer questions online and face the lung nodules correctly with you.
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1
Why are lung nodules high?
Pulmonary nodules generally refer to nodular lesions smaller than 3 cm, round or rounded, and can be single or multiple. Lung nodules below 0.5 cm are called micronodes, 0.5 cm-1 cm are called small nodules, and between 1 cm and 3 cm are called large nodules. Pulmonary nodules may be scars left in the body after trauma; it may also be clumps formed by inhalation of dust in the lungs; or it may be the imprint left after pneumonia or tuberculosis...
The increasing incidence of lung nodules has a lot to do with the rapid development of imaging technology, and many small nodules are nowhere to be seen under high-definition examination instruments. In addition, it may also be related to factors such as air pollution, inflammation, tuberculosis or tumors.
2
Will the lung nodules become cancerous?
Pulmonary nodules are mainly divided into solid nodules and sub-solid nodules (commonly known as ground glass nodules), and ground glass nodules are divided into partial ground glass nodules and pure ground glass nodules.
Most of the lung nodules are actually benign, and the ground glass nodules that make people talk about the color change are not as terrible as imagined, Director Chen said: According to the results of the physical examination center of Jiangsu Provincial People's Hospital, the incidence of lung nodules is about 80%-90%, of which 30% belong to ground glass nodules, but there is a possibility of malignancy, and less than 3% of the ground glass nodules that require surgical intervention are less than 3%. Therefore, in the face of pulmonary nodules, we should not be too afraid, and it is the right thing to review regularly and find a professional doctor for evaluation and diagnosis.
Generally nodules with a size of less than 5 mm, it is recommended to follow up once a year; nodules with a size of 5-8 mm are recommended to be followed up semi-annually; if it is more than 8 mm, nodules exceed 8 mm, it is recommended to follow up for three to six months, and whether surgery is required needs to be judged by experts. Many people think that lung nodules more than 8mm must be surgically removed, in fact, this is no longer the gold standard for surgical intervention of lung nodules, whether lung nodules need surgical intervention, not only related to their size, but also depends on the actual composition, whether there are burrs, whether there is pleural traction and so on.
If the re-examination shows that the nodule has not changed, then you can consult a professional doctor to appropriately lengthen the time interval of the re-examination, but the re-examination cannot be stopped, and some lung nodules develop very slowly and may change after 5 or even 7 years.
3
These changes in the nodules of the lungs require vigilance!
Ultrasound, X-ray, or MRI are not as clear and accurate as CT scans. Many people think that PET-CT tests will be more accurate, but in fact, pet-CT is relatively less sensitive to non-solid nodules, and PET-CT radiation will be greater than CT. Therefore, in the examination of pulmonary nodules, patients should follow the advice of professional doctors and do not choose their own examination items.
In the process of pulmonary nodule review, if it is found that its size, morphology, and density have changed, it must be paid attention to, and a professional doctor should be consulted and evaluated in time, and surgical intervention should be carried out if necessary.
4
Pay attention to lung examination
Most lung cancers develop from lung nodules, and although you should not panic too much about lung nodules, you should not neglect to prevent them. The general population should pay attention to chest CT examination, if no problems are found, then you can do the examination after 2-3 years apart.
For people with risk factors for lung cancer (age ≥ 40 years of age who have any of the following risk factors:
(1) Smoking ≥ 20 packs (or 400 years), or 20 packs (or 400 years) of smoking ≥, smoking cessation time
(2) Have a history of environmental or high-risk occupational exposure (such as contacts of asbestos, beryllium, uranium, radon, etc.);
(3) Those with COPD, diffuse pulmonary fibrosis or previous history of tuberculosis;
(4) Those who have previously suffered from malignant tumors or have a family history of lung cancer.
It is more necessary to check the time earlier, which is of great significance for early screening of lung cancer, and only by detecting problems as soon as possible and timely intervention can we obtain the best prognosis.
For detailed reports, please pay attention to Jiangsu Public News Channel
Jiangsu Radio and Television Rong Media News Center reporter / Zhu Dan
Camera/ Shao Yicheng
Edit / Zhu Dan Yuanyuan
Jiangsu News
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