Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Observational Study
. 2015 Dec;148(6):1405-1414.
doi: 10.1378/chest.15-0630.

Management of Pulmonary Nodules by Community Pulmonologists: A Multicenter Observational Study

Nichole T Tanner  1 , Jyoti Aggarwal  2 , Michael K Gould  3 , Paul Kearney  4 , Gregory Diette  5 , Anil Vachani  6 , Kenneth C Fang  4 , Gerard A Silvestri  7
Affiliations
Observational Study

Management of Pulmonary Nodules by Community Pulmonologists: A Multicenter Observational Study

Nichole T Tanner et al. Chest. 2015 Dec.

Abstract

Background: Pulmonary nodules (PNs) are a common reason for referral to pulmonologists. The majority of data for the evaluation and management of PNs is derived from studies performed in academic medical centers. Little is known about the prevalence and diagnosis of PNs, the use of diagnostic testing, or the management of PNs by community pulmonologists.

Methods: This multicenter observational record review evaluated 377 patients aged 40 to 89 years referred to 18 geographically diverse community pulmonary practices for intermediate PNs (8-20 mm). Study measures included the prevalence of malignancy, procedure/test use, and nodule pretest probability of malignancy as calculated by two previously validated models. The relationship between calculated pretest probability and management decisions was evaluated.

Results: The prevalence of malignancy was 25% (n = 94). Nearly one-half of the patients (46%, n = 175) had surveillance alone. Biopsy was performed on 125 patients (33.2%). A total of 77 patients (20.4%) underwent surgery, of whom 35% (n = 27) had benign disease. PET scan was used in 141 patients (37%). The false-positive rate for PET scan was 39% (95% CI, 27.1%-52.1%). Pretest probability of malignancy calculations showed that 9.5% (n = 36) were at a low risk, 79.6% (n = 300) were at a moderate risk, and 10.8% (n = 41) were at a high risk of malignancy. The rate of surgical resection was similar among the three groups (17%, 21%, 17%, respectively; P = .69).

Conclusions: A substantial fraction of intermediate-sized nodules referred to pulmonologists ultimately prove to be lung cancer. Despite advances in imaging and nonsurgical biopsy techniques, invasive sampling of low-risk nodules and surgical resection of benign nodules remain common, suggesting a lack of adherence to guidelines for the management of PNs.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1 –
Figure 1 –
Inclusion and exclusion. Eval = evaluation.
Figure 2 –
Figure 2 –
Diagnostic outcome by nodule size (N = 377).
Figure 3 –
Figure 3 –
PET scan use grouped based on most invasive procedure. A, Surveillance. B, Biopsy. C, Surgery.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Kanne JP, Jensen LE, Mohammed TL, et al. ; Expert Panel on Thoracic Imaging. ACR appropriateness Criteria® radiographically detected solitary pulmonary nodule. J Thorac Imaging. 2013;28(1):W1-3. - PubMed
    1. Ost D, Fein AM, Feinsilver SH. Clinical practice. The solitary pulmonary nodule. N Engl J Med. 2003;348(25):2535-2542. - PubMed
    1. Smith-Bindman R, Miglioretti DL, Johnson E, et al. Use of diagnostic imaging studies and associated radiation exposure for patients enrolled in large integrated health care systems, 1996-2010. JAMA. 2012;307(22):2400-2409. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lehto RH. Identifying primary concerns in patients newly diagnosed with lung cancer. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2011;38(4):440-447. - PubMed
    1. Ma J, Ward EM, Smith R, Jemal A. Annual number of lung cancer deaths potentially avertable by screening in the United States. Cancer. 2013;119(7):1381-1385. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms