Lung nodules ≠ lung cancer, stop scaring yourself!

The report released by the World Health Organization shows that in 2022, the number of new cancer cases worldwide was 19,965,054, and the number of deaths was 9,736,520, of which the number of new lung cancer cases was 2,480,308, and the number of deaths was 1,817,131. Lung cancer ranked first in both new cases and deaths, becoming the world's largest cancer. According to the comprehensive statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in my country in 2022, the total number of cancer patients in my country was about 986,500, of which lung cancer patients accounted for as high as 46.8%.

Lung cancer is known as the "king of cancers". With the popularization of physical examinations and low-dose spiral CT, the detection rate of lung nodules has also increased. Due to the panic about lung cancer, people will be a little nervous after detecting lung nodules. Do lung nodules need to be removed? Will they become cancerous? And how to treat cancer? Related topics have attracted much attention.

Lung nodules do not equal lung cancer, so they do not necessarily need to be removed

Pulmonary nodules refer to lesions with a diameter of ≤30 mm, round, focal, and increased density found in lung imaging examinations. They can be solitary or multiple. Nodules with a diameter of less than 3 mm are miliary nodules; nodules with a diameter of 3 to 10 mm are micronodules; nodules with a diameter of 10 to 20 mm are small nodules; and nodules with a diameter of more than 20 mm are nodules.

In fact, most of the lung nodules found during physical examinations are benign. Many diseases in the lungs can form nodules, such as inflammatory nodules, granulomas, pneumoconiosis nodules, inflammatory pseudotumors, tuberculomas, vascular lesions, etc. Even enlarged lymph nodes may appear as lung nodules on CT. Therefore, there are many possible causes for nodular lesions in the lungs, and lung nodules are not necessarily cancer.

CT imaging is the main method for diagnosing lung nodules. Radiologists will make a comprehensive judgment on the size of lung nodules and the overall growth of nodules and then stratify the tumor risk into low-risk nodules (<5 mm), medium-risk nodules (5-8 mm), and high-risk nodules (>8 mm). The treatment principles for nodules in different risk stratifications are also different.

Low-risk nodules: Annual or physical examination follow-up is required, and most nodules <3 mm do not require follow-up;

Intermediate-risk nodules: Follow-up is required for 6 to 12 months, and annual follow-up is available for stable lesions.

High-risk nodules: Follow-up for 3 months or the option of undergoing a puncture biopsy and surgery is required. It is best to conduct a multidisciplinary consultation to provide reasonable treatment advice.

The time it takes for lung nodules to develop into lung cancer varies

The time required for a lung nodule to develop into lung cancer varies from person to person and depends on many factors, including the size, shape, and growth rate of the nodule, as well as the patient's age and health status.

Therefore, the development speed of lung cancer is also inconsistent. Some lucky "lazy cancer" patients can experience no obvious progress for several years or even more than ten years; while some tumors have the ability to grow rapidly and need to be monitored closely.

Generally speaking, most lung nodules are benign and will not develop into lung cancer. Generally speaking, for nodules with a diameter of less than 8 mm, regular follow-up examinations are usually recommended to observe their changes. If the nodule remains stable during the follow-up examination, no further treatment is required.

However, if a lung nodule increases in size, changes in shape, or develops other suspicious signs within a short period of time, further examination, such as enhanced chest CT scan, bronchoscopy, or puncture biopsy, is recommended to clarify the nature of the nodule.

Cancer is not a terminal illness. Don't be scared by it.

Early detection and early treatment are the key to defeating cancer. Many cancer patients have signs in the early stages, but due to negligence or indifference, they often take the development of the disease lightly and miss the best time for treatment, so they can only relieve their pain through palliative care in the later stages.

Cancer is not a terminal illness, but neglecting cancer is an incurable disease!

Although death is bound to come, it is difficult for anyone to remain calm when faced with the threat of death due to a terminal illness. This leads to many people being "scared to death" by their own inner demons before they are even knocked down by the pain of cancer!

Academician Zhong Nanshan once mentioned when talking about cancer that "about one-third of deaths are caused by being scared of cancer." After contracting cancer, many people refuse to acknowledge the reality, and develop negative emotions such as pessimism, anxiety, and depression, which seriously affects their mental health and subsequent treatment results.

Therefore, it is very necessary to conduct psychological intervention on cancer patients, especially those with advanced cancer. This is not only the job of doctors, but also something that oneself, family members and friends should try their best to do.