HealthCareMagic is now Ask A Doctor - 24x7 | https://www.askadoctor24x7.com

Would Opacity In The Lung Zone Be Indicative Of Cancer In A Patient Diagnosed With Lung Infection?

Posted on Tue, 25 Apr 2023

Question: Last week my neighbor was sanding his red XXXXXXX walkway and I breathed in a lot of dust. I had a little sore throat to begin with, but it evolved into a terrible hacking cough. There wasn't much flem but I literally can't stop coughing once it starts. It also "hurts" when I take a deep breathe. Today (March 26th) I had a chest x-ray. It said I had, "Interval development of a hazy opacities in the left mid/lower
lung zone." My doctor said I had a lung infection and prescribed an antibiotic. I am concerned that this opacity may represent a cancerous lesion. (I had a double mastectomy two years ago for breast cancer). Can the chest x-ray radiologist actually differentiate between an opacity that represents an infection and an opacity that indicates a cancerous leision? Thanks, XXXX

Answered by Dr. Deepak Sundriyal (35 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Chest X-ray cannot differentiate

Detailed Answer:

Hello,

A chest X-ray in the beginning of development of a lesion cannot differentiate between a cancerous and infected lesion. Since you are a cancer survivor, there is all the more reason to go for a CT scan to look for a metastatic lesion. There is a possibility of developing an infection and that too can be very well revealed by a CT scan.

Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.

Thank you.

Regards,
Dr. Deepak Sundriyal
Oncologist

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T

Follow up: Dr. Deepak Sundriyal (16 hours later)

Dr. Sundriyal, Thank you for your thoughtful reply. To clarify: If I have a ct scan, will it be able to differentiate between a lung infection and a cancerous lesion?

Best, XXXX

Answered by Dr. Deepak Sundriyal (8 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Yes, it will.

Detailed Answer:

Hello,

Yes a CT scan can differentiate between a cancerous lesion and infective one.

Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.

Thank you.

Regards,
Dr. Deepak Sundriyal
Oncologist

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj

Follow up: Dr. Deepak Sundriyal (17 hours later)

Thanks for your expeditious reply! A follow-up question for you:

If the CT scan showed a possibly cancerous lesion (and not an infection), would the next step be a lung biopsy of the site?

Answered by Dr. Deepak Sundriyal (5 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Yes, a biopsy is a must.

Detailed Answer:

Hello,

Of course, biopsy is a must for 2 reasons, to confirm the disease and to look at the behavior of the hormone receptors which helps in tailoring the treatment.

Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.

Thank you.

Regards,
Dr. Deepak Sundriyal
Oncologist

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D

Follow up: Dr. Deepak Sundriyal (2 hours later)

What do you mean by "look at the behavior of hormone receptors?"

Thanks again!

Answered by Dr. Deepak Sundriyal (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Hormone receptors guide treatment

Detailed Answer:

Hello,

Every tumor has some receptors which can be negative or positive. So the hormone receptor ER and PR and HER2 receptor status of tumor can change from initial tumor to metastatic tumor. If initially positive , they can be negative now and vice versa. This information is useful in deciding the future course of therapy.

Hope I have answered your query.

Thank you.

Regards,
Dr. Deepak Sundriyal
Oncologist

Note: For further queries related to kidney problems Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Remy Koshy