Lung Nodule as an incidental find and 2 week pathway

Hi, I had a coronary CT and a lung nodule was found (incidental find).  I believe this is quite common and didn't worry me too much as I know scaring can be caused by many different conditions.  I was told by my Cardiologist I would be on the 2 week cancer screening pathway but that's all I know, I have no idea how many nodules, how big etc.  I then received a letter inviting me for a CT scan of the abdomen, pelvis and chest.  As it's quite a high dose of radiation I'm wondering who would have ordered this test and what prompted this descision instead of a simple chest only CT scan especially as often nodules are just watched and rescanned in a few months.  Is it normal to go for a full scan without any discussion of what was found to prompt this course of action?

  • Hello Vicarc

    I'm sorry to hear that you're waiting on some further investigations after the recent incidental discovery of a lung nodule. It's understandable that you will have some questions. 

    Unfortunately, it's impossible for us to say why this particular CT has been requested and not another. If your GP doesn't have any information about who has requested this scan then you could get in touch with the Cardiologist's secretary and ask which Specialist or team they referred you to. It may be that you're able to get some further information that way. Alternatively, you could contact the hospital PALS team who are there to help you with health-related questions and resolve concerns or problems when you're using the NHS. 

    I hope that you don't have to wait too long for your appointment and that the results bring some reassurance. 

    Best wishes, 
    Jenn
    Cancer Chat moderator