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Our team of experts is passionate about finding lung cancer early, when it’s easiest to treat. That’s why we developed our lung nodule program and lung cancer screening program, which are the only ones of their kind in the Charlotte region.

We provide advanced, comprehensive care when a lung nodule is found incidentally (by accident) or through lung cancer screening. When lung nodules show up in imaging scans, they’re flagged and routed to our team for follow-up care.

We perform diagnostic tests to determine if a lung nodule is cancerous or noncancerous. If lung cancer is found, we’ll connect you to the highest-quality lung cancer treatment at Atrium Health Levine Cancer – the only cancer center in the region to be nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report.

What are lung nodules?

A lung nodule is a small, round abnormal growth of tissue that remains in the lung following an infection (like a scar that remains after a cut heals) or for some other reason.

An incidental lung nodule refers to a lung nodule that is found by accident or incidentally. For example, if you have a CT scan for a heart issue, the CT will take a picture of your chest cavity region, which includes the heart and the lungs. And sometimes a small dot (or lung nodule) can be seen in the lung tissue. Most lung nodules are noncancerous, but tests are needed to make sure.

Interventional Pulmonary Care

Atrium Health’s Interventional Pulmonary Services offer advanced, minimally invasive procedures to diagnose and treat complex lung and airway conditions, including lung cancer, pleural diseases and chronic respiratory issues. Led by nationally recognized experts, the program provides cutting-edge care using robotic bronchoscopy, cone beam CT imaging, cryobiopsies and therapeutic interventions such as airway stenting and tumor removal. Proudly serving Charlotte, Cabarrus County and surrounding areas, the program gives patients personalized, compassionate care designed to improve breathing, enhance diagnostic accuracy and support better outcomes.

For questions or more information, call 704-468-8839.

The trained pulmonologists at Atrium Health provide comprehensive pulmonary care with the most advanced diagnostics, treatments and therapeutics.

Diagnostic tests and treatments

When a suspicious lung nodule is found, you can count on our team to determine if it’s cancerous and provide the most effective treatment options if needed. Our most common diagnostic tests and treatments include:

  • Low-dose CT scan: This quick diagnostic test takes a detailed 3D picture of your lungs, revealing lung nodules or abnormalities.
  • Biopsy via robot-assisted bronchoscopy tool: We use this tool to take a small tissue sample from a lung nodule, which is used for diagnostic testing.
  • Robotic-assisted thoracic surgery: Our skilled surgeons remove cancerous lung nodules with a robotic tool, offering a quicker recovery with fewer complications.
  • Medical lung cancer treatment options: We offer a range of nonsurgical treatment options, like radiation and chemotherapy.

Frequently asked questions

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