DEAR DR. GOTT: I’m a 78-year-old female on the frail side due to osteoporosis and mitral valve prolapse. I recently had a routine chest X-ray and was advised to have a pet scan because of a spot on my left lung. I had the scan and was diagnosed with a pulmonary nodule. I was informed that it could be an inflammatory process but a malignancy could not be ruled out. There is no evidence it has spread to my chest, abdomen or pelvis. I’m not considering a biopsy because I won’t have chemo.

DEAR READER: I strongly urge you to have further testing, including a biopsy. This will at least inform you and your doctors if the nodule is benign and harmless (such as scar tissue) or malignant.

Whether or not to have chemotherapy is your choice. However, I don’t believe it is a decision you can make without knowing if you have cancer or not. Go ahead with the biopsy and depending on the results, you may wish to speak to an oncologist (cancer specialist). He or she can tell you about possible treatment options. This is not to say you must have treatment, but it will at least allow you to make an informed decision.

If the biopsy shows the nodule is harmless, you probably won’t need more than regular check-ups with a pulmonologist who will monitor the lesion and check it if has increased in size or developed any abnormal characteristics.

Let me know how things turn out.