Lawsuit: Missed Follow-Up CT for 8 mm Lung Nodule Leads to Terminal Stage 4 Cancer

An 8 mm lung nodule detected on CT in 2022 grew to a 3.1 cm mass after a radiologist’s recommendation for a 6–12 month follow-up CT was not acted upon for nearly 3 years, resulting in a terminal stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis, a South Carolina lawsuit alleges.

• The 2022 CT showed an 8 mm lobular nodule in the left lower lobe; radiologist recommended follow-up chest CT in 6–12 months per Fleischner criteria.
• After no follow-up, the patient developed respiratory symptoms, and a 2025 CT revealed a 3.1 cm mass and stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer with metastasis.
• The lawsuit targets the primary care physician and hospital for failing to communicate the incidental finding and lacking systems to track radiologist recommendations.

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