Pulmonary Nodule Clinic

Overview

Patients are referred to the Pulmonary Nodule Clinic based upon findings from a chest CT scan. These findings may result from:

• Incidental findings on a CT scan.
• Lung screening

Learn more here about eligibility requirements for an annual low-dose CT scan (LDCT) to screen for lung cancer.

Expert, Personalized Care

The Pulmonary Nodule Clinic consists of a multidisciplinary team of specialists, including radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, thoracic surgeons, thoracic radiologists and pulmonologists, who meet to review each patient scheduled for that day's clinic. The team works to develop a follow-up care plan following the review of your scans and medical history.

The Pulmonary Nodule Clinic is part of Mass General Cancer Center's Cancer Early Detection and Diagnostics Clinic, which provides patients with comprehensive cancer diagnosis in one location, bridging the gap between clinical care and research in cancer early detection.

What to Expect

• You will speak with our Patient Navigator to schedule your appointment and discuss any questions you 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 Mass General Brigham, we will request those imaging studies to be sent to us for review.
• There is no special preparation for your appointment, as it is a consultation with one of our specialists. There will not be any additional procedures performed on this day.
• Prior to your appointment, the team of specialists will meet to review your scan and any prior scans you may have had for comparison. They will come up with a plan that is best suited to your needs. It may be a follow-up scan at a 3-, 6- or 12-month interval or they may discuss further diagnostic intervention. Your plan will be matched to a specialist that can best carry out that plan and you will meet with that specialist during your appointment.
• At the conclusion of your appointment you will be made aware of the follow up plan as well as who will be contacting you for any upcoming appointments.
• If you have any questions prior to or following your appointment, please call our Patient Navigator at any time. She will assist to coordinate your follow up care and be your resource and point of contact while you are a patient in the nodule clinic.

When to Contact Us

• Patients are typically referred to us by their doctor for nodules seen on imaging which measure 6 mm or greater. If you have had a chest CT done outside of Mass General and are looking for a second opinion, please call us to discuss and if you have a nodule that meets the criteria for the clinic, we will request your scans be sent to us for review.
• If you ever need to change a follow-up scan or appointment, please notify our Patient Navigator.

Meet the Team

Meet the Pulmonary Nodule Clinic's multidisciplinary team of specialists.

Apryl Bilodeau
Patient Navigator
Tel: 781-487-6212

Kristin Anderson, RN
Nurse Navigator

Emily Ranaghan, RN
Nurse Navigator

Christina Luberto, PhD
Smoking Cessation Counselor
(Tel: 617-724-6300 ext. 111-134-1469)
(Email: cluberto@mgh.harvard.edu)