Long-term Cancer Risk Associated with Lung Nodules Observed on Low-Dose Screening CT Scans

Non-calcified nodules (NCNs) associated with false positive low-dose CT (LDCT) screens for lung cancer have been attributed to various causes, including infectious and inflammatory processes [1,2]. There is also evidence that some NCNs may represent lung cancer precursors. This evidence comes from case series of surgically resected NCNs, where some lesions have been shown to represent atypical adenomatous hyperplasia, a lung adenocarcinoma precursor [3,4]. Further indirect support for this hypothesis comes from a study of participants in the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) who had NCNs found on LDCT screening [5].
Source: Lung Cancer - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Source Type: research