Lung Nodule Clinic

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At Northwest Health - Porter, our team of multidisciplinary specialists work together to facilitate early diagnosis and timely care for patients with lung nodules.

Our Lung Nodule Clinic, located in the medical plaza at Northwest Health - Porter, provides fast, accurate and efficient diagnosis and management of suspicious lung nodules. The clinic is designed to provide care to patients who receive an abnormal chest imaging report of a concerning lung nodule.

The Lung Nodule Clinic at Northwest Health - Porter combines a multidisciplinary team in pulmonology, radiology, thoracic surgery and oncology to provide early diagnosis, coordination and timely care for lung nodules. And, if a lung nodule is found to be pre-cancerous or cancerous, prompt diagnosis and treatment may be the best chance for curing cancer.

If you have been diagnosed with a lung nodule, commonly called a "spot on the lung," your doctor may refer you to the Lung Nodule Clinic or you can make an appointment without a referral.

For more information, to refer a patient or to schedule an appointment, please call the Lung Nodule Clinic at (219) 983-LUNG (5864).

Lung (or Pulmonary) Nodules

Lung nodules – small masses of tissue in the lung – are common. They appear as round, white shadows on a chest X-ray or computerized tomography (CT) scan.

Often these nodules cause no symptoms and therefore go undetected. The majority of nodules are found through testing performed for other reasons, such as X-rays or CT scans for pneumonia or abdominal pain. While most pulmonary nodules are found to be benign and can come from an infection or scar tissue from an old infection, some are early signs of lung cancer and require prompt evaluation.

Non-cancerous lung nodules usually require no treatment. Your doctor may recommend periodic imaging tests to see if a lung nodule grows or changes over time.

The Lung Nodule Clinic at Northwest Health - Porter

A lung nodule, or “spot” on the lung, can be a cause for anxiety and concern even though it is often a benign finding. The Lung Nodule Clinic is here to help you and your physician sort through your particular case. The Clinic specializes in expediting the workup of patients with lung nodules found incidentally or through our low dose CT lung cancer screening program.

Visit this page to learn more about lung cancer screening.

What to Expect

To schedule an appointment at the Lung Nodule Clinic, please call (219) 983-LUNG (5864). The clinic coordinator will schedule your appointment and discuss any questions you may have. They will ask you some questions about your medical history and about any prior scans you may have had. If you had scans outside of Northwest Health, you’ll need to obtain a copy and bring it with you to your appointment.

Prior to your appointment, your most recent scan will be reviewed, along with any prior scans you may have had for comparison, and preliminary plan will be developed.

On the day of your appointment you will be seen by one of our physicians who will discuss the findings and plan of care with you.

At the conclusion of your appointment, your follow-up plan will be finalized and the nurse navigator with work with you to coordinate any required tests, procedures or follow up physician appointments.

Benefits of the Lung Nodule Clinic

• The nurse navigator is available to assist you throughout the management of your lung nodule(s). Examples of support provided by the nurse navigator include:
  • Assistance with scheduling follow up procedures, tests, and/or consults.
  • Answers any questions you or your family may have.
  • Provides customized patient education.
  • Coordinates referrals to supportive care resources as needed.
• Diagnostic and treatment recommendations for your lung finding are determined by multiple physician specialists – a team including pulmonologists, oncologists, radiologists and thoracic surgeons. Clinic team members will carefully determine if further testing is required, such as endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) or other imaged guided biopsies.
• Your initial follow up plan will be communicated in a timely manner with your primary care physician, or other referring doctor, with ongoing communication from the Lung Nodule Clinic throughout your follow up care.
• We are committed to efficiently managing your lung finding and to provide prompt diagnosis and follow up treatment if recommended.

Referrals and Appointments

Patients are typically referred to us by their doctor for nodules seen on an imaging scan. If you had a chest CT performed and are looking for a second opinion, we also accept self-referrals.

Contact the Lung Nodule Clinic at (219) 983-LUNG (5864) for the following:

• To learn more about the Lung Nodule Clinic.
• To refer a patient.
• To schedule an appointment.

The medical plaza at Northwest Health - Porter is located at 85 East US Highway 6, Valparaiso.