1 week ago told have a 5 mm nodule & 3 more three mm in lung.can they be biopsyed yet &-appt 4/10 for consult?

Had chest CT on complaint of chest heaviness while in hospital on unrelated matter.(was admitted for intestinal flu) that's when nodules found. To primary dr yesterday. said they were too small yet to be tested. Am 65 female on HMO. 2 years ago had friend die lung cancer after complaining to docs for 1year before tested for lung cancer. I live in state where quality health care highly questionable. I am very frightened to put it mildly. Any info and comments greatly appreciated. Thanks ahead, Murphy

A nodule is defined as a relatively round lesion that is less than three centimeters in diameter. A lung nodule is located within the lung itself, not in the airways. A patient with a lung nodule usually experiences no symptoms; the nodule is most often detected on a chest x-ray. More than half of solitary or single nodules within the chest are benign, or non-cancerous, usually due to a previous infection. However, all solitary chest nodules are considered potentially malignant until proven otherwise, and for this a needle biopsy may be required.

A biopsy involves removing a small piece of tissue for examination by a physician. A needle biopsy, sometimes called a needle aspiration, is the easiest way that tissue can be safely removed from the body. The procedure, which is most often performed by a radiologist or interventional radiologist, involves a needle that is inserted through the skin. The needle biopsy may use a syringe or an automated needle to obtain the tissue sample.

Once a nodule is detected, a computed tomography (CT) or positron emission tomography (PET) scan may be performed to help characterize it and to help estimate the likelihood of malignancy. If the CT or PET scan cannot clearly identify positively benign features in the nodule, a needle biopsy may be necessary. When a physician orders a needle biopsy, the nodule is usually believed to be unreachable by other diagnostic techniques, such as bronchoscopy.

You state that all of your nodules are > 3mm, and most needle biopsies are perfomed on nodules larger that 3mm. Your doctor thinks they are too small, which would be contradictory to standards. You don't say if your primary physician is a pulmonologist. If he is not, you should be referred to a specialist as soon as possible. If you have lung cancer, it is imperative that you be treated agressively. Waiting for a nodule to grow can be a death sentence. Do not wait around for a GP or FP to decide if you need treatment. Demand a referral to a specialist (HMO's have specialists on their panel) and get those nodules tested as soon as possible. Good luck.

most likely they cannot be biopsied because of their size. there are two main ways to biopsy the lung, one is a CT-guided biopsy where they use the CT scan to show them where to go with a needle, usually this is done through your back. one is with a bronchoscopy, where a pulmonologist takes a scope, puts it down your throat and into your lungs to see if any masses are found. what usually happens with nodules that small is that neither of these will yield any results because they can't make sure they are getting the right cells since the nodules are so small. there is also a test called a PET scan that can help determine if nodules are likely to be cancerous, but that is also not very sensitive for spots under 10 mm.

this is definitely something that needs some followup and a workup, but you may not have any answers yet.

keep in mind that lots of people have nodules from non-cancerous things, like old infections, so there are lots of other less scary options for what it is than just cancer.

i hope things go well for you.