A shadow on your scan isn’t always serious, but it deserves attention.
If the doctor notices a lung nodule on an x-ray or CT scan, he or she will inquire as to past and current risk factors for cancer, such as smoking, family history, and exposure to toxic chemicals. Fungal and bacterial infections cause inflammation that can create pulmonary nodules. Conditions such as sarcoidosis can also cause masses to form on the lung through the accumulation of inflammatory cells. Lung cancer, lymphoma, and cancers that have metastasized from other parts of the body can also cause malignant tumors.

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