What do nodules on the lungs mean?
A lung (pulmonary) nodule is an abnormal growth that forms in a lung. You may have one nodule on the lung or several nodules. Nodules may develop in one lung or both. Most lung nodules are benign (not cancerous). Rarely, pulmonary nodules are a sign of lung cancer.
Are lung nodules life threatening?
Benign lung nodules differ from malignant nodules in that they: Won’t spread to other parts of the body. Can grow slowly, stop growing, or shrink. Aren’t usually life threatening.
What are the odds that a lung nodule is cancer?
Overall, the likelihood that a lung nodule is cancer is 40 percent. However, a person’s actual risk depends on a variety of factors, such as age: In people younger than 35, the chance that a lung nodule is malignant is less than 1 percent, while half of lung nodules in people over 50 are cancerous.
What are the symptoms of a pulmonary nodule?
Pulmonary nodules usually cause no symptoms and are frequently discovered when a patient has a chest x-ray or CT scan for another reason. When they do cause symptoms, however, those symptoms may include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, or, in the case of pneumonia, fever.
What does having a nodule on the lung mean?
Lung nodules are fairly common masses of abnormal tissue in the lungs. They can be caused by any type of infection that impacts the respiratory tract, such as fungal infections, tuberculosis or bronchitis. Lung nodules typically don’t present any symptoms other than an occasional feeling of tightness in the chest.
How serious are lung nodules?
A lung nodule is a mass of tissue located in the lungs. Though about 40% of these growths are benign, they can be cancerous, especially in older people and smokers. Many people with this condition don’t have any symptoms, though some do have wheezing, shortness of breath, or a persistent cough.