What is a lung nodule?
A lung nodule, also called a pulmonary nodule, is an abnormal spot or small growth in the lung. Lung nodules are often detected incidentally on a chest X-ray or a computed tomography (CT) scan. Imaging tests of the chest and lungs may be done for a variety of reasons, including to check for infection, traumatic injury, chest pain or shortness of breath, or to screen for lung cancer.
The Lung Nodule Clinic at the OSUCCC – James is a part of an innovative multidisciplinary program designed to further improve detection of nodules in the lung. The Lung Nodule Clinic is the only comprehensive clinic of its kind in central Ohio, offering a single, convenient location where patients can learn more about their disease, review treatment options with a team of lung experts and decide on the best personalized treatment and therapy options.
Our patient-centered care offers comprehensive treatment options that address the unique needs of patients diagnosed with nodules in the lung.
Nationwide, more than one million lung nodules are detected each year. At the OSUCCC – James, approximately 10,000 lung nodules are detected on CT scans in a year. About 1,000 of these are new incidental detections, and 5-10% of these are malignant (cancerous). Potentially, that’s 100 patients with early lung cancer that could be detected, managed and successfully treated.
The Lung Nodule Clinic’s team of specialists and subspecialists comprises world-renowned experts in interventional pulmonology, pulmonology, radiology, thoracic surgery, medical and radiation oncology and more — all of whom specialize in lung cancer. This reach across multiple medical disciplines to design the very best treatment plans and therapies that target each patient’s specific disease in a personalized way makes our clinic unique.
Comprehensive care for lung nodules begins at diagnosis
The nationally and internationally recognized Lung Nodule Clinic experts passionately advocate a comprehensive approach to care that ensures every patient receives a personalized treatment plan to address not only their physical condition, but also their life circumstance. Our team of specialists and subspecialists is committed to helping each patient every step of the way, from lung nodule screening, early detection and intervention, to treatment and ongoing management and support.
This patient-centered focus, combined with a collaborative spirit, enables the clinic’s team of lung nodule care providers to offer patients convenient access to world-class treatments and interventions, innovative research protocols and clinical trials, sophisticated imaging and screening, physical therapy and much more — all in one location.
What to expect on your first visit to the lung nodule clinic
The Lung Nodule Clinic at the OSUCCC – James comprises a multidisciplinary group of specialists and subspecialists who are nationally and internationally renowned health professionals, physicians, researchers and advocates.
Located within the Thoracic Oncology Center at the OSUCCC – James, the Lung Nodule Clinic delivers world-class integrated care that combines the benefits of academic medicine with in-depth research and world-renowned expertise.
Upon arriving at the OSUCCC – James Lung Nodule Clinic, a team of health care experts specializing in lung diseases will perform a detailed history and examination, evaluating a variety of areas, including your overall health and signs of disease, personal habits, past illnesses and treatments. After the initial exam and depending on your symptoms, your doctor may suggest additional diagnostic or screening tests to determine the cause of your symptoms, including:- Chest X-ray
- CT (computed tomography) scan
- PET scan
- Biopsy
- Lung function testing
- Referrals for surgery or treatments
Because each patient's assessment and treatment plan are individualized, your first appointment may not look the same as another patient's appointment.
That's why it's important for all patients to:- Prepare any questions you have for your lung care team.
- Bring a list of all medications you are taking currently, including:
- Name of the medication(s)
- Dosage(s)
- When the medication(s) should be taken
- For what condition(s) you are taking medication
- Write a list of any symptoms you may be experiencing and how often you’re experiencing them.
You may also find it helpful to bring a family member or friend with you to your visit. This person can provide an extra set of ears as you discuss your treatment plan with your lung nodule team.
Innovative lung nodule research designed to improve patient outcomes
The nationally and internationally recognized medical research specialists and subspecialists at the OSUCCC – James Lung Nodule Clinic initiate, lead and conduct in-depth scientific studies that are specific to lung nodules. This meaningful work provides the foundation for a more thorough understanding of this disease and its progression, and ultimately informs the diagnosis and treatment techniques that lead to successful outcomes for patients with nodules in the lung.
For example, Lung Nodule Clinic research scientists conduct outcomes-based studies that offer continued insight into current therapeutic protocols and treatments as well as their effectiveness. Additionally, these experts conduct population-based, health equity studies that explore the behaviors and norms that place certain individuals or groups at a higher risk for lung nodules and cancers and how care can be provided in an equitable way.
Lung Nodule Clinic specialists have remained at the forefront of research that has resulted in novel detection strategies, like biomarker tests using a sample of blood or a nasal swab, and early diagnosis techniques, like robotic bronchoscopy, which significantly further improves the surgeon’s ability to localize and sample lung nodules.
These same physician researchers have taken robotics technology a step further, combining it with the use of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). Using CBCT with the robotic bronchoscopy platform enables surgeons to better visualize their position within the lungs as they biopsy the more difficult and smallest lung lesions that otherwise would be unreachable.
Collaborative lung nodule care that changes lives
Working collaboratively to offer patients expertise from all angles, the Lung Nodule Clinic team of research scientists reach across medical disciplines, educational departments and health care institutions to create and conduct meaningful research that will improve the lives of patients diagnosed with lung nodules.
Collaborations include:- The OSUCCC – James Lung Nodule Program
- Lung Cancer Screening Clinic at the OSUCCC – James
- Interventional Pulmonology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Lung Nodule Clinic physicians are also distinguished faculty members at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, and each physician has significant subspecialty experience in understanding and treating individual benign (noncancerous) and malignant (cancerous) nodules and tumors in the chest cavity.
Clinical trials for lung nodules
For patients diagnosed with lung nodules, clinical trials mean hope. Hope for a disease-free world and for better, more targeted ways to prevent, detect, treat and cure individual diseases and cancers.
Patients can enter clinical trials before, during or after starting their treatment.
The nationally and internationally recognized specialists and subspecialists at the OSUCCC – James believe the best way to treat patients and to manage their disease successfully is to be at the forefront of delivering the latest, most effective treatments available and by working with the experts to develop the newest and best individualized therapies and programs.
Treatment options for lung nodules
The OSUCCC – James specialists and subspecialists in the Lung Nodule Clinic reach across multiple medical disciplines (pulmonology, thoracic medicine and oncology, surgical oncology, radiology, physical therapy and more) and modes of treatment to offer the latest therapies and the most advanced tools to understand lung nodules at the molecular and genetic levels — the levels that drive each patient’s specific disease. This multidisciplinary team holds a weekly Lung Nodule Board meeting before clinic to discuss each patient’s individual presentation, imaging, diagnosis and treatment options best suited to their care. This collaborative discussion of experts before clinic helps to design the very best treatment plan and therapies that target each patient’s specific condition in an expedited way.
For patients diagnosed with a lung nodule, OSUCCC – James Lung Nodule Clinic experts offer an individualized and compassionate approach to care, all in one location, that begins with a history and physical exam and open discussion about your overall health and signs of disease, as well as your personal habits, past illnesses and treatments.
Lung nodule treatment team
The OSUCCC – James Lung Nodule Clinic team of experts include world-renowned specialists and subspecialists in the detection, diagnosis and treatment of lung nodules, lung conditions and lung cancers.
If you have been diagnosed with a lung nodule or would like to speak with a pulmonology expert at the OSUCCC – James, please call 614-293-6939 or 800-293-5066 to make an appointment. Telehealth options are available.