Non-Metastatic Ground Glass Nodules Lungs Help

Bunnymom
Bunnymom Member Posts: 212 Member
edited April 2015 in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Hi all. I wonder if someone could help me? I've been celebrating my 7 months post treatment NED. Then, I read the chest CT report.....

Of course I'm happy there's no metastatic disease but the "ground glass" nodules seem very scary. The earlier scans don't characterize the nodules as ground glass. 

Is this something I should be stressing over? Any help would be appreciated. Anyone else have this?

 


4/8/15: "two small stable ground glass nodules in the right upper lung; both unchanged. Continued imaging is recommended to ensure stability and exclude an adenocarcinoma, probably within the current routine and head and neck malignancy follow up protocol. No effusions or other suspicious nodules or masses. No findings to suggest metastatic disease."

 

This report uses the 12/14 scan as comparison but the 12/14 report doesn't list any ground glass nodules, or any other nodules other than the micro-nodules seen on the earlier scans (below). If this radiologist looked at the 12/14 scan images and saw the same nodules, it would mean I've had them for at least 18 months and it's stable and unchanged. 

 

Just some history: 

Scans

8/29/13: 3.5 mm perifissural nodule to the inferior right upper lobe. A 3mm module to the right upper lobe. These are below the resolution of the PET. Morphological features are not inconsistent with old inflammatory. 

12/9/13: tiny less than 4mm nodules in the right upper lobe, are again noted and remain stable. 

4/16/14: stable CT appearance of tiny right upper lobe nodules.

10/14: no mention of these tiny or small nodules only scattered benign micro-nodules.  

12/14: no mention of these tiny or small nodules only scattered benign micro-nodules. 

4/8/15: see scan report above.


 

Comments

  • MrsBD
    MrsBD Member Posts: 617 Member
    #2
    Nodules

    From what my oncologist and my primary doctor said, these nodules are not unusual and are often found incidentally. I have two teeny ones in my lung and one on my adrenal gland and no one seems alarmed (except me!) The standard protocol is to do comparison CTs. We'll always have something to worry about, but I guess it's not this. ☺

    Beth

  • katenorwood
    katenorwood Member Posts: 1,912
    #3
    silly question

    I have a silly question for you.  Have you asked your onc about this ?  I have several spots they are watching in my lungs.  Unchanged sounds good to me, but please for your own peace of mind ask your team.  Let us know what they tell you.  Sharing info. between ourselves helps us to know what to watch for.  Warmest thoughts sent !  Katie

  • Bunnymom
    Bunnymom Member Posts: 212 Member
    #4
    MrsBD said:

    Nodules

    From what my oncologist and my primary doctor said, these nodules are not unusual and are often found incidentally. I have two teeny ones in my lung and one on my adrenal gland and no one seems alarmed (except me!) The standard protocol is to do comparison CTs. We'll always have something to worry about, but I guess it's not this. ☺

    Beth

    Hi Beth,
    funny meeting you

    Hi Beth,

    funny meeting you here.....did your dr.s tell you the nodules are ground glass? I have to stop reading stuff on the Internet. I'm driving myself crazy. Let me know.

    Mary

  • denistd
    denistd Member Posts: 597
    #5
    MrsBD said:

    Nodules

    From what my oncologist and my primary doctor said, these nodules are not unusual and are often found incidentally. I have two teeny ones in my lung and one on my adrenal gland and no one seems alarmed (except me!) The standard protocol is to do comparison CTs. We'll always have something to worry about, but I guess it's not this. ☺

    Beth

    Ground glass

    I had larynx cancer 6 years ago, had scans, including pets, that notes small nodules in lung from the getgo, 1 3mm and 1 4mm, in 2012 it was noted that there was now a small ground glass nodule there, recommend that I be scanned again in 6 months. Had the scan and the ground glass nodule was now 10mm, and a biopsy taken that turned out to be adenoid carcinoma, the biopsy also removed the whole thing and surrounding tissue. Went on a 6 month schedule of scans, last September all was still well and do not have another scan till this coming September. If it is cancerous it's small and very curable. Ground glass is not necessarily indicative of cancer.

     

  • Bunnymom
    Bunnymom Member Posts: 212 Member
    #6
    katenorwood said:

    silly question

    I have a silly question for you.  Have you asked your onc about this ?  I have several spots they are watching in my lungs.  Unchanged sounds good to me, but please for your own peace of mind ask your team.  Let us know what they tell you.  Sharing info. between ourselves helps us to know what to watch for.  Warmest thoughts sent !  Katie

    Katie....I have an

    Katie....I have an appointment on Monday with the medical Onc. I plan to discuss this with him and will post an update.

    Mary

  • Bunnymom
    Bunnymom Member Posts: 212 Member
    #7
    denistd said:

    Ground glass

    I had larynx cancer 6 years ago, had scans, including pets, that notes small nodules in lung from the getgo, 1 3mm and 1 4mm, in 2012 it was noted that there was now a small ground glass nodule there, recommend that I be scanned again in 6 months. Had the scan and the ground glass nodule was now 10mm, and a biopsy taken that turned out to be adenoid carcinoma, the biopsy also removed the whole thing and surrounding tissue. Went on a 6 month schedule of scans, last September all was still well and do not have another scan till this coming September. If it is cancerous it's small and very curable. Ground glass is not necessarily indicative of cancer.

     

    from what I can piece

    from what I can piece together, these are small, 3mm and 3.5 mm. Stable and unchanged. 

  • MrsBD
    MrsBD Member Posts: 617 Member
    #8
    Bunnymom said:

    Hi Beth,
    funny meeting you

    Hi Beth,

    funny meeting you here.....did your dr.s tell you the nodules are ground glass? I have to stop reading stuff on the Internet. I'm driving myself crazy. Let me know.

    Mary

    Ground Glass

    They didn't use that term, but the report also said they were too small for PET scan resolution and that they were stable. And, yes, funny meeting you here. I hope we will meet in person soon!

    Beth

  • Bunnymom
    Bunnymom Member Posts: 212 Member
    #9
    denistd said:

    Ground glass

    I had larynx cancer 6 years ago, had scans, including pets, that notes small nodules in lung from the getgo, 1 3mm and 1 4mm, in 2012 it was noted that there was now a small ground glass nodule there, recommend that I be scanned again in 6 months. Had the scan and the ground glass nodule was now 10mm, and a biopsy taken that turned out to be adenoid carcinoma, the biopsy also removed the whole thing and surrounding tissue. Went on a 6 month schedule of scans, last September all was still well and do not have another scan till this coming September. If it is cancerous it's small and very curable. Ground glass is not necessarily indicative of cancer.

     

    Denistd Ground Glass

    what's upset me is the characterization of it being labeled ground glass. The previous 3 scans just termed them "nodules". Now there's a new scan and new radiologist reading the new scan and he calls them ground glass "unchanged".

    I don't understand how something can be considered unchanged (although this is good) and be labeled something completely different. These are questions for the doctors on Monday. If they just called them small, or tiny unchanged, stable nodules, I'd be less upset! 

    Of course, I made the big mistake of searching the Internet which hasn't helped at all. Thanks for your response 

  • MGC
    MGC Member Posts: 72 Member
    #10
    Bunnymom said:

    Katie....I have an

    Katie....I have an appointment on Monday with the medical Onc. I plan to discuss this with him and will post an update.

    Mary

    nodules

    I have never heard of ground glass nodules. I had nodules in my lungs when originally diagnosed  years ago. They compared with size today and all is the same. Not cancer.

  • Bunnymom
    Bunnymom Member Posts: 212 Member
    #11
    MGC said:

    nodules

    I have never heard of ground glass nodules. I had nodules in my lungs when originally diagnosed  years ago. They compared with size today and all is the same. Not cancer.

    thanks!

    thanks!

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