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Yes, a lung nodule can be cancerous. But most lung nodules aren't cancerous. Lung nodules are small clumps of cells in the lungs. They're very common. Most lung nodules are scar tissue from past lung infections. Lung nodules usually don't cause symptoms. They're often found by accident on a chest X-ray or CT scan done for some other reason.
Lung nodules. Small lumps can form in the lungs (rheumatoid nodules), as well as in other parts of the body. Lung nodules usually cause no signs or symptoms, and they don't pose a risk of lung cancer. In some cases, however, a nodule can rupture and cause a collapsed lung. Pleural disease.
Smoking appears to increase the retention of asbestos fibers in the lungs, and often results in a faster progression of the disease. Risk factors People who worked in mining, milling, manufacturing, and installation or removal of asbestos products before the late 1970s are at highest risk of asbestosis.
Lungs. Untreated pulmonary sarcoidosis can lead to permanent scarring in your lungs (pulmonary fibrosis), making it difficult to breathe and sometimes causing pulmonary hypertension. Eyes. Inflammation can affect almost any part of your eye and may cause damage to the retina, which can eventually cause blindness.
You may find out when you have a positive skin or blood test or when small areas of residual infection in the lungs (nodules) show up on a routine chest X-ray. The nodules typically don't cause problems, but they can look like cancer on X-rays. If you develop symptoms, especially severe ones, the course of the disease is highly variable.
Only a small number of thyroid nodules are cancerous. But determining which nodules are cancerous can't be done by evaluating your symptoms alone. Most cancerous thyroid nodules are slow growing and may be small when your doctor discovers them. Aggressive thyroid cancers are rare with nodules that may be large, firm, fixed and rapid growing.
Lung cancer happens when cells in the lungs develop changes in their DNA. A cell's DNA holds the instructions that tell a cell what to do. In healthy cells, the DNA gives instructions to grow and multiply at a set rate. The instructions tell the cells to die at a set time. In cancer cells, the DNA changes give different instructions.
Calcified nodules in your lungs are most often from an old, resolved infection. Fractures. Rib or spine fractures or other problems with bone may be seen on a chest X-ray. Postoperative changes. Chest X-rays are useful for monitoring your recovery after you've had surgery in your chest, such as on your heart, lungs or esophagus.
Pneumonia, an infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs. Polymyositis, an inflammatory disease that causes muscle weakness on both sides of the body. Rheumatoid arthritis, an inflammatory disease that affects joints and other body systems. Sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease that most often affects the lungs and lymph nodes.
Lung nodules. Lung cancer may appear as a small spot in the lungs. Unfortunately, many other lung conditions look the same, including scars from lung infections and noncancerous (benign) growths. In studies, as many as half the people undergoing lung cancer screening have one or more nodules detected on an LDCT.