Additional pulmonary nodules in the patient with lung cancer: controversies and challenges

The optimal management of an additional pulmonary nodule in a patient with a known primary lung cancer is unclear. Additional pulmonary nodules are often identified during pathologic evaluation after resection of a primary tumor rather than before surgery. Although correlating these pathologic data with preoperative information can be useful, their applicability to management and decision making is often limited. This article focuses on the malignant additional pulmonary nodule in the same lobe as the known primary tumor, in a different lobe in the same lung as the known primary tumor, and in the contralateral lung.