In recent years, with the improvement of people's health awareness and the advancement of medical imaging technology, the detection rate of pulmonary nodules is getting higher and higher. Do you feel panicked and uneasy when you suddenly find the word "lung nodule" in your medical report or medical imaging test? What exactly is a lung nodule? Does it mean lung cancer? After discovering a lung nodule, how should we deal with it? In this episode, we will talk about this topic.
Online big doctor: Chen Qianshun
Fujian Provincial Hospital
Thoracic Surgery, MD, Associate Chief Physician
In this issue:
Minimally invasive treatment of pulmonary ground-glass nodules 3.0 in the new era
What is a pulmonary nodule
Pulmonary nodules are round or round-like lesions that appear in the lungs that are less than 3 cm in diameter. They can be single or multiple and are usually found on a chest X-ray or CT scan.
Lung nodules can be benign, such as inflammation, granulomas, benign tumors, etc., or malignant, such as lung cancer. Most pulmonary nodules are benign, but some may be malignant and therefore require further investigation and evaluation.
Why all these years
Increased detection rate of pulmonary nodules
Advancement of examination technology: With the continuous development of medical imaging technology, especially the advancement of CT technology, such as the wide application of low-dose spiral CT, the detection rate of small nodules in the lungs has been greatly improved. This technique is able to detect nodules smaller than 5 mm in diameter or even smaller, thus increasing the detection rate of pulmonary nodules.
Increasing health awareness: In recent years, with the increasing health awareness of people, more and more people have started to have regular medical check-ups, including CT scans of the lungs. This allows many previously undetected lung nodules to be detected.
Popularity of CT tests during the pandemic: During the pandemic, due to the requirements for CT scans prior to hospitalization and surgery, many patients accidentally discovered lung nodules while performing these tests. This also contributes to the increase in the detection rate of pulmonary nodules.
Influence of unhealthy lifestyle habits and environmental factors: Poor lifestyle habits and environmental factors such as long-term smoking, frequent exposure to haze and dusty air can increase the incidence of lung diseases, which can lead to an increased likelihood of nodules in the lungs. These factors also play a role in the improvement of the detection rate of pulmonary nodules.
Are pulmonary nodules symptomatic
Whether a pulmonary nodule is symptomatic depends on the size, location, and nature of the nodule. In most cases, pulmonary nodules are asymptomatic in the early stages, especially those smaller than 1 cm, and are usually discovered incidentally during a physical examination or chest imaging for other conditions.
However, if the nodule is large or in a special location (such as near the pleura or airway), it may cause some symptoms.
What to do if you find a lung nodule
Determine the nature of the nodule: Further tests are performed to determine the nature of the nodule. This may include a chest X-ray, chest computed tomography (CT), bronchoscopy, etc. These tests can help assess the size, morphology, density, and other characteristics of the nodule to make a preliminary judgment on its nature.
Seek professional advice: It is advisable to seek medical advice promptly and consult a professional doctor or pulmonologist. Based on the results of the examination and clinical symptoms, they can give more accurate diagnosis and treatment recommendations.
Treatment according to the nature of the nodule: If the nodule is caused by an infection (e.g., tuberculosis), it may need to be treated with antimicrobial drugs, such as rifampicin, pyrazinamide, etc.
If the nodule is suspected to be neoplastic, a more detailed evaluation, including pathologic biopsy, may be required. Treatments may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy or targeted therapy.
Regular follow-up and surveillance: For benign nodules or nodules that do not require treatment temporarily, regular imaging tests should be performed to monitor changes in the nodules. This helps to detect any potentially malignant changes in a timely manner.
Lifestyle modifications: Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including quitting smoking, avoiding prolonged exposure to air pollution, maintaining a good diet, and exercising properly, can help prevent the onset and progression of lung disease.
Disclaimer
This article aims to popularize health science, to help you understand diseases and medications, the content of popular science can not replace the doctor's diagnosis and treatment opinions, for reference only, if you have related health problems, please consult a doctor in time.
Introduced by the doctor
Chen Qianshun
Doctor of Medicine, Deputy Chief Physician of the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Champion of the 2019 "Elite Cup" Fujian and Jiangxi Regional Final Laparoscopic Competition, 2019 "Elite Cup" South China Regional Final Laparoscopic Competition Runner-up, 2020 First China Thoracic Surgery Standardization and Innovative Surgery Summit Exhibition, South China Regional Final Laparoscopic Youth Group Champion, 4th Place in the National Finals, Finals Tacit Cooperation Award, Member of the Esophageal Cancer Professional Committee of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, China Cancer Prevention and Treatment Alliance, Member of the Esophageal Cancer Professional Committee of Fujian Cancer Prevention and Treatment Alliance, Member of the Esophageal Cancer Professional Committee of the Cancer Rehabilitation Branch of the Chinese Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Member of the Esophageal Cancer Professional Committee of the Fujian Preventive Medicine Association, Member of the Prevention and Transformation Professional Committee of the Fujian Preventive Medicine Association, Member of the Thoracic Tumor Prevention and Control Professional Committee of the Fujian Preventive Medicine Association, Member of the Trauma Branch of the Fujian Association of Integrative Traditional and Western Medicine, Member of the Thoracic Tumor Research Group of the Thoracic Surgery Branch of the Fujian Medical Association, Member of the Mediastinal Disease Group of the Thoracic Surgery Branch of the Fujian Medical Association, and Member of the Chest Wall and Trauma Surgery Group of the Thoracic Surgery Branch of the Fujian Medical AssociationThe deputy editor-in-chief of "Chinese Medicine Guide" participated in the compilation of 2 monographs issued by the People's Medical Publishing House: "Clinical Rehabilitation of Esophageal Cancer" and "Clinical Rehabilitation Treatment of Lung Cancer" in the past 3 years, and published 7 SCI and CSCD papers as the first or corresponding author (including 4 papers in Zone 2 of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and 1 China series paper), presided over 1 Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province and 1 Qihang Fund of Fujian Medical University, and won the 2022 Fujian Provincial Hospital Technology Innovation Award (the first completer)