6mm lung nodules, should surgery or follow-up?
When netizens raised this question, I understood that his concern was that during the follow-up period, if the lung nodule enlarged, the surgery would be delayed.
Therefore, first of all, it needs to be clear that for MM nodules, even if they are malignant, as long as we observe them regularly, it will not become a major problem. This means that a 6 mm nodule can be followed up. However, the key is how to determine the timing of follow-up.
Based on the nature of the nodules, we can roughly determine the follow-up intervals. If it is a ground-glass nodule, the 6mm nodule can be followed up and checked once a year, and there will be no problem. If it is a partially solid nodule, it may be a microinfiltrate type, and it can also be repeated annually. If the nodule is enlarged, further surgery will generally not affect the effect, and will not be performed at all.
However, if it is a solid nodule of 6mm, more care is required. If this kind of nodule is malignant, it may grow rapidly in a short period of time, especially for solid nodules that are ambiguous on the image, and the interval between reexaminations must be shortened, and it is generally recommended to check it once every six months.
During the follow-up of lung nodules, it is also important to draw blood to check for lung cancer seven antibodies. If the test of seven antibodies for lung cancer is positive, it indicates that the nodule is active and the risk of malignant transformation is relatively high, and the interval between reexaminations needs to be appropriately shortened. Therefore, for 6mm pulmonary nodules, follow-up is still the main way. However, the follow-up interval needs to be considered comprehensively according to the nature of the nodule, the results of the seven antibodies of the blood test for lung cancer, and the clinical situation. This ensures that neither over-the-top nor delays the condition.