Lung Nodule on CT

A small spot on the lung is usually benign — but always needs a plan.

Routine health-check CT scans increasingly turn up small, unexpected lung nodules. Most nodules under 8 mm are benign — but each one needs a structured plan rather than a wait-and-see approach.

We follow international (Fleischner Society) guidelines and offer Radial EBUS for safe sampling of peripheral nodules without open surgery.

Symptoms we look out for

  • Usually no symptoms — found incidentally on imaging
  • Occasionally a persistent cough, blood in sputum, or weight loss in higher-risk nodules

Our treatment approach

  • Risk stratification by size, density, shape and your smoking history
  • Surveillance CT at the right interval (3, 6 or 12 months) for low-risk nodules
  • PET-CT and tissue diagnosis for nodules >8 mm or with suspicious features
  • Multidisciplinary referral when malignancy is confirmed

Common questions

I was told my nodule is 5 mm and to repeat the CT in a year — is that safe?

Yes. A 5 mm nodule in a low-risk patient has a very low chance of being cancer, and the recommended follow-up is exactly that — a repeat scan to confirm stability.

Will I need surgery?

Most patients do not. Radial EBUS, CT-guided biopsy and PET-CT can answer the question without surgery in the majority of cases.

Get a clear plan for your lung nodule on ct

Book a consultation with Dr. Arun Gangadhar at our RS Puram clinic.