CancerCompass message board discussion started by Rob58185 on 4/30/2008 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,23589,0.htm Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ I am 43 year old male. Had a MRI of my back for a back pain issue. They find a 3cm cyst with a 1cm nodule. Sent me for a CT with and without contrast. Family Doctor gets the report and tells me I need to see a specialist. I asked if it was anything to worry about and he says No but there is a lesion and we don't know what it is. After a CT scan and an MRI... I thought the reason for the CT scan was to find out what it was?!Can someone please tell me if I should be concerned! Rob58185 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT  On 4/30/2008 Rob58185 wrote:I am 43 year old male. Had a MRI of my back for a back pain issue. They find a 3cm cyst with a 1cm nodule. Sent me for a CT with and without contrast. Family Doctor gets the report and tells me I need to see a specialist. I asked if it was anything to worry about and he says No but there is a lesion and we don't know what it is. After a CT scan and an MRI... I thought the reason for the CT scan was to find out what it was?!Can someone please tell me if I should be concerned!Unfortunately, a one cm nodule is probably too small to tell with certainty if it is cystic (and probably benign) or solid (and probably malignant).   I have this problem, and have been having repeat CT scans once a year to monitor it.  Mine has not changed in size, so we are continuing to watch and wait.  Get copies of your CT and MRI reports; you may learn more from them.  The CT scan and MRI can tell that there's a lesion there, and if it's larger than about 2 cm, they can tell if it is cystic or solid, and if it's done with contrast,if it is a different character than the tissue around it.  But until a pathologist examines the lesion, no one can be absolutely sure just what it is.  A needle biopsy is not usually done on a solid kidney mass because the biopsy itself can cause other problems, and since solid kidney masses are malignant, they are usually removed without a biopsy. Is it a urologist that your doctor wants you to see?  Trishpm Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT