Lung Nodules · Specialist Assessment · London
A lung nodule has been found on your scan. You deserve a clear answer — not months of uncertainty.
Most lung nodules are not cancer. But “it’s probably nothing — we’ll rescan in a few months” is not an answer anyone should have to live with. Mr Scarci reviews your CT images personally — not just the report — and tells you clearly what your nodule means, what your real risk is, and exactly what should happen next.
What is a lung nodule?
A lung nodule is a small, roughly round area of denser tissue in the lung, up to 3cm (30mm) across, usually found on a CT scan. Anything larger is called a mass and is assessed differently.
Nodules are extremely common — modern scanners are so sensitive that they pick up findings that would have been invisible a generation ago. Finding one does not mean something has gone wrong. It means your scan was read carefully.
What most nodules actually are
Scars from old chest infections · small areas of inflammation · benign growths such as hamartomas · small lymph nodes within the lung.
A minority are early lung cancers — and when they are, finding them at nodule size is precisely what gives surgery its best chance of cure.
What your nodule’s size means
Size is the single biggest factor in nodule risk.
Under 6mm
Very low risk — well under 1 in 100. Many need no follow-up at all, or a single check scan.
6–8mm
Low risk — around 1–2 in 100. Usually a surveillance CT to confirm the nodule is stable.
Over 8mm
Average risk around 3 in 100, but varies widely. This is where formal risk assessment, PET-CT or biopsy earn their place.
Over 20mm — or growing
A meaningful proportion are malignant. This should be assessed by a thoracic specialist without delay.
Solid nodules
The most common type. The great majority are benign; risk is judged on size, shape and growth.
Ground-glass nodules
Hazy, less dense areas. Often very slow-growing; some represent the earliest, most curable end of the spectrum. Monitored over longer periods.
Part-solid nodules
A mix of the two — watched most carefully, as the mixed pattern carries a higher risk than either alone.
Size is the biggest single factor — but not the whole picture. Shape, edges, position in the lung, whether it is solid or ground-glass, how it has changed between scans, and your own history (age, smoking, family history) all feed into validated risk models used in UK practice. This calculation is exactly what Mr Scarci performs with your images — and explains to you in plain language.
Surveillance is often the right plan. Surveillance without explanation never is.
Watching a nodule with repeat scans is legitimate, evidence-based medicine — for the right nodule. The problem is being placed on a surveillance pathway without anyone showing you the images, calculating your risk, or telling you what would trigger action. That gap is where the anxiety lives.
And if the right answer is reassurance and discharge — that is exactly what you will be told.
020 7459 4367
How a nodule assessment works
Namita obtains your imaging from any NHS or private hospital. You don’t chase discs — we do.
Mr Scarci reads your CT images and reports before you arrive.
Your risk explained with the images in front of you. A plan agreed together — in person or remote.
PET-CT or image-guided biopsy arranged within days, not months.
Keyhole (VATS) wedge resection — diagnosis and, for early cancers, cure in one step. Typically 1–2 nights.
When should a nodule be removed?
Most nodules never need surgery. Removal is discussed when:
- It has grown between scans — growth is the strongest single signal a nodule gives.
- Your calculated risk is high — based on size, features and your history.
- PET-CT or biopsy findings are suspicious — or inconclusive in a nodule that cannot safely be left.
- You choose certainty — after an honest discussion of the numbers, some patients prefer one small keyhole operation to years of scans and uncertainty. That choice deserves a proper conversation, not a dismissal.
A VATS wedge resection removes the nodule through small keyhole incisions with a short hospital stay. And if the nodule proves to be an early lung cancer, you are already under the care of the surgeon who will treat it — no relay, no new waiting list, no starting again.
“As a lung cancer patient referred for urgent surgery, Mr Scarci left me in no doubt that surgery was the most appropriate treatment. Our discussions were open, relaxed, informative, and ultimately extremely reassuring. I am completely confident that, as a patient of Marco Scarci, I’m in the best hands possible.”
“Mr Scarci arranged for me to have a CT scan on the same day, which greatly sped up the process. I have already had a video consultation to discuss the results and treatment plan. Efficient, caring, and highly professional throughout. Highly recommended.”
Lung nodule questions, answered honestly
Statistically, it is unlikely: more than 95% of small nodules found on CT scans turn out to be benign — old scars, inflammation, or harmless growths. But statistics describe populations, not you. The only way to move from “probably fine” to a real answer is a proper assessment of your images, your nodule’s features, and your risk factors. That is what a specialist review provides.
As a broad guide: under 6mm carries a very low risk (well under 1 in 100); 6–8mm remains low (around 1–2 in 100); above 8mm the risk averages around 3 in 100 and rises with size, which is why nodules over 8mm deserve formal characterisation. No size means automatic cancer — and no size means an automatic all-clear. Growth between scans matters more than any single measurement.
A hazy, less-dense area on a CT scan, named for its frosted-glass appearance. Ground-glass nodules often grow very slowly, and some represent the earliest and most curable end of the lung cancer spectrum — which is why they are monitored over longer periods rather than dismissed. If you have been told you have a ground-glass or part-solid nodule, a specialist review is particularly worthwhile.
If the plan was explained to you with your images and a risk calculation, surveillance may well be exactly right. If it wasn’t — or if the waiting is affecting your life — a review is a reasonable step. It usually takes a single consultation (£300–£400), with your imaging reviewed in advance. Either it confirms your plan, which is genuine reassurance, or it changes it — which you would want to know now, not in six months.
Most patients don’t. Whether a biopsy is needed depends on the nodule’s calculated risk, its size and position, and what a PET-CT shows. In some cases, keyhole removal of the nodule is both the diagnosis and the treatment in a single step — avoiding a separate biopsy altogether. The right pathway is decided with you, not for you.
Growth between scans is the strongest single signal a nodule gives, and it changes the assessment. A growing nodule should be reviewed by a thoracic specialist promptly — urgent cases are seen the same day, and the pathway from review to PET-CT, biopsy or surgery is measured in days.
Yes. The practice team obtains your imaging directly from any NHS or private hospital — you don’t need to chase discs or reports. Remote video consultations are available for patients outside London and internationally, with the scan review completed before the appointment.
Routine appointments within 24–48 hours; urgent findings the same day. A consultation is £300–£400 and includes Mr Scarci’s review of your existing imaging before you arrive. All major UK insurers are accepted, and the practice checks your cover before you attend. Full pricing is published on the costs page.
Stop living with a question mark.
One consultation replaces months of wondering with a clear answer: what your nodule most likely is, what your real risk is, and exactly what happens next. Urgent findings seen the same day. Routine appointments within 24–48 hours.
