You will need a PET scan to confirm and differentiate from pneumoconiosis since malignant cells have higher rate
of glucose metabolism. Thus, the principle
of PET
scan is intracellular accumulation
of FDG and preferential accumulation of glucose in malignant cells, leads to visualization of malignancy on PET scan. It is the diagnostic and staging tool in cancer, assesses malignant potential in a pulmonary nodule if it is solid and more than 1 cm in dia.