Cancerous pulmonary nodules, however, are known to grow relatively quickly—usually doubling in size every four months but sometimes as fast as every 25 days.
Almost all cases of small cell lung cancer are due to cigarette smoking. It is a fast-growing cancer that spreads much more quickly than other types of lung cancer.
The smaller the nodule, the more likely it is to be benign. Also, benign nodules grow very slowly, if at all, while cancerous nodules on average can double in size every four months or less.
Most lung cancers do not cause any symptoms until they have spread, but some people with early lung cancer do have symptoms. If you go to your doctor when you first notice symptoms, your cancer might be diagnosed at an earlier stage, when treatment is more likely to be effective.
However, your doctor may suspect a lung nodule is cancerous if it grows quickly or has ridged edges. Even if your doctor believes the nodule is benign or noncancerous, he or she may order follow-up chest scans for some time to monitor the nodule and identify any changes in size, shape or appearance.
The location of the lung nodule may guide the care team in evaluating possible risk, and studies indicate that nodules in the upper lobe may be more indicative of cancer. However, not all nodules in the upper region of the lung are cancerous, and not all nodules located elsewhere are benign.
There are usually no signs or symptoms of lung cancer in the early stages. Symptoms develop as the condition progresses. The main symptoms of lung cancer include: a cough that does not go away after 3 weeks.
There are usually no signs or symptoms in the early stages of lung cancer, but many people with the condition eventually develop symptoms including: a persistent cough. coughing up blood. persistent breathlessness.
The five-year survival rate for lung cancer is 56 percent for cases detected when the disease is still localized (within the lungs). However, only 16 percent of lung cancer cases are diagnosed at an early stage. For distant tumors (spread to other organs) the five-year survival rate is only 5 percent.
Benign (noncancerous) pulmonary lung nodules require no treatment. Cancerous lung nodules, however, usually are surgically removed. The procedures used depend on the size, condition and location of the nodule.
Nodules between 6 mm and 10 mm need to be carefully assessed. Nodules greater than 10 mm in diameter should be biopsied or removed due to the 80 percent probability that they are malignant. Nodules greater than 3 cm are referred to as lung masses.
Studies have shown that lung cancer doubling time can vary, from 229 days to 647 days in one study, depending upon the type. 7 It's possible that some types of lung cancer progress within weeks to months, while others may take years to grow.
In contrast, Mydral et al16 found the time from onset of symptoms to treatment was shorter in patients with stage IV lung cancer (median 3.4 months) than in those with stage I/II disease (median 5.5 months).
Pancoast tumours
A very rare type of lung cancer growing right at the top of the lung is called a Pancoast tumour. These tumours cause very specific symptoms. The most common symptom is severe shoulder pain. Pain might travel down the arm or up the head and neck.
If a biopsy is not possible, the doctor may suggest other tests that will help make a diagnosis. Lung cancer cannot be detected by routine blood testing, but blood tests may be used to identify genetic mutations in people who are already known to have lung cancer (see "Biomarker testing of the tumor" below).
Coughing. Coughing that doesn't go away or gets worse and is not related to a viral or bacterial infection affecting your lungs. Shortness of breath. Feeling out of breath, tightness in the chest, feeling like you can't breathe, or feeling you can't get enough air.
A chest X-ray is usually the 1st test used to diagnose lung cancer. Most lung tumours appear on X-rays as a white-grey mass.
Most lung nodules are benign, or non-cancerous. In fact, only 3 or 4 out of 100 lung nodules end up being cancerous, or less than five percent. But, lung nodules should always be further evaluated for cancer, even if they're small.
Generally, a pulmonary nodule must grow to at least 1 cm (size of a pea) in diameter before it can be seen on a chest X-ray. CT scans can detect much smaller nodules.
If >6 mm, the repeat CT at 3 to 6 months, if nodule continues to grow or has persistent solid component >6 mm, the patient is deemed high risk, and resection should be considered. A CT should be performed annually for 5 years if the nodule is unchanged from a prior and solid component <6 mm.
The short answer is no. A CT scan usually isn't enough to tell whether a lung nodule is a benign tumor or a cancerous lump. A biopsy is the only way to confirm a lung cancer diagnosis.