Lung Nodule Clinic

A Coordinated Approach to Timely Lung Nodule Evaluation

At Northside Hospital, our pulmonary, thoracic surgery and oncology specialists work together to facilitate early diagnosis and timely care for patients with lung nodules.

Northside Hospital’s Lung Nodule Clinic, located on the Northside Hospital Cherokee campus in Canton, 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.

Prompt diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer, which can initially present as a lung nodule, may be the best chance for curing cancer. Northside’s Lung Nodule Clinic combines a multidisciplinary team in interventional pulmonology, radiology and oncology to provide early diagnosis, coordination, and timely care for lung nodules.

If you have been diagnosed with a lung nodule, commonly called a "spot on the lung", your doctor may refer you to the Clinic or you can self-refer.

For more information, to refer a patient, or to schedule an appointment, please call the Lung Nodule Clinic Information Line at 404-845-5050.

Lung (or Pulmonary) Nodes

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.

Northside's Lung Nodule Clinic

A lung nodule, or “spot” on the lung, can be a cause for anxiety and concern even though it is often a benign finding. Northside’s 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.

Click here to learn more about lung cancer screening.

What to Expect

To schedule an appointment at the Lung Nodule Clinic, please call 404-845-5050. The clinic coordinator will follow up within 24 hours to schedule your appointment and discuss any questions you may have. She will ask you some questions about your medical history and about any prior scans you may have had. If you had scans outside of the Northside Hospital network, 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 an initial follow up plan will be developed.

At the conclusion of your appointment, your follow-up plan will be finalized and the clinic coordinator with work with you to schedule any required tests, procedures, etc. before you leave the Clinic.

Benefits of the Lung Nodule Clinic

• The clinic coordinator is available to assist you throughout the management of your lung nodule(s). Examples of support provided by the clinic coordinator 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 specialties, including pulmonologists and thoracic radiologists. 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 pulmonologist, primary care physician, or other referring doctor, with ongoing communication from the Lung Nodule Clinic throughout your follow up care.
• Evaluation, diagnosis and recommendations are guided by the American College of Chest Physicians Guidelines (ACCP).
• We are committed to efficiently managing of your lung finding and to prompt diagnosis and treatment when recommended.
  

Referrals and Appointments

Patients are typically referred to us by their doctor for nodules seen on imaging which measure 8 mm or greater. If you had a chest CT performed and are looking for a second opinion, we also accept self-referrals.

Contact the Lung Nodule Clinic Information Line at 404-845-5050 for the following:

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

Contact Us

Lung Nodule Clinic Information Line
404-845-5050

Northside Hospital Lung Nodule Clinic
460 Northside Cherokee Boulevard, Suite 130
Canton, GA 30115

Located inside Cherokee Lung and Sleep Specialists - Canton