Can lung lesions be benign?

Most lung nodules are benign (not cancerous). Rarely, pulmonary nodules are a sign of lung cancer. Lung nodules show up on imaging scans like X-rays or CT scans. Your healthcare provider may refer to the growth as a spot on the lung, coin lesion or shadow.

Should I be worried about lung lesions?

Are lung nodules cancerous? 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.

Are lung lesions always cancer?

Yes, lung nodules can be cancerous, though most lung nodules are noncancerous (benign). Lung nodules — small masses of tissue in the lung — are quite common. They appear as round, white shadows on a chest X-ray or computerized tomography (CT) scan.

Can benign lung tumors cause pain?

A wide range of symptoms may suggest that a patient has lung nodules or a lung mass. These include mild cough, shortness of breath, and wheezing. Other patients may experience weight loss, pain in the chest, or coughing up blood. However, many patients with a lung nodule or lung mass have no symptoms at all.

What is a lesion on your lung?

Lung nodules, pulmonary nodules, white spots, lesions—these terms all describe the same phenomenon: an abnormality in the lungs. Lung nodules are commonly found after a patient undergoes a chest CT scan for some reason, such as when a patient experiences symptoms of lung disease or during a lung cancer screening.

What can cause a lesion on the lung?

The most common causes of benign nodules include granulomas (clumps of inflamed tissue) and hamartomas (benign lung tumors). The most common cause of cancerous or malignant lung nodules includes lung cancer or cancer from other regions of the body that has spread to the lungs (metastatic cancer).