Question re nodule in left lung after immunotherapy

Hi Basil,

Thanks for getting in touch. My name is Sarah and I’m one of the cancer information nurse specialists.

I’m sorry to read about your ongoing symptoms following the immunotherapy. I wonder if the drug you mentioned in your post was Nivolumab. One of the common side effects are muscle and joint pain which could be a contributing factor to the arthritis. I hope you are getting support with the reduced mobility from your GP or a rheumatologist.

Lung nodules are quite common when people are having scans for an unrelated reason. They may not have caused any symptoms but in this situation it is known as an ‘incidental finding’.

Having concerns about a slight increase in size is understandable, however it is reassuring that following the Multidisciplinary Team Meeting they don’t feel it’s necessary to carry out any further tests at the moment, such as a biopsy. This is likely to be because the area is so small there would be risks involved.  The right thing to do would be to keep a close eye on it and repeat the scan so they can compare it to the last one for any changes.

If this is something that will continue to worry you, it would be a good idea to get in touch with your nurse specialist at the hospital, so that they can give you reassurance that this is something they are actively monitoring. It’s also important to let them know if you feel the dry cough you have already mentioned to your oncologist gets any worse.

I really hope this information was helpful.  Please know, you can always give us a call to talk things through further.

Take care and best wishes,

Sarah (Cancer Information Nurse Specialist)

You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email or use webchat.

Ref: HW