What is a 'lung nodule' or 'mass'?

What is a 'lung nodule' or 'mass'?

Jay M. Lee (Surgical Director, Thoracic Oncology Program, UCLA) gives expert video advice on: How is lung cancer diagnosed?; What are some common non-surgical procedures used to diagnose lung cancer?; Can waiting for a lung cancer diagnosis cause a dangerous delay in treatment? and more...

A lung nodule or a mass is a radiologic finding. It is something that is seen on a chest X-Ray or a CT scan. It does not imply or mean that you necessarily have lung cancer. It may be a benign diagnosis like a granuloma or it may be lung cancer, but a lung nodule doesn't equal lung cancer until a biopsy is taken to look at the cells under a microscope by a pathologist.