A Patient Story—Turning Uncertainty into Peace of Ming with Nodify Lung® Testing

It started with spring cleaning old filing boxes when Preston Ives uncovered an old note from a Radiologist, several years earlier, regarding a 12 mm upper-lobe lung nodule that was buried in some random medical paperwork. The note indicated that the nodule was an incidental finding, and no follow-up was recommended at the time. That set Preston spinning with fears: was the lung nodule cancerous? All this time has passed, what if the cancer has spread? Am I going to die?

Preston promptly scheduled an appointment with his primary care physician, who ordered Nodify Lung nodule risk assessment, designed to help clinicians determine a lung nodule’s risk of malignancy and to support clinical decision-making. In Preston’s case, his pre-test risk of malignancy, according to the Mayo Clinic Model, was 10% placing him in the Low to Moderate Risk category where the physician’s decision is unclear between holding a surveillance pattern or moving to an intervention. After the Nodify Lung blood test, that risk was reduced to 3%, the Very Low Risk category, helping Preston avoid an unnecessary biopsy procedure and allowing for a more measured approach. The Nodify Lung test result became a material point of clarity for Preston. He felt enormous relief, more confident, and reassured with his physician’s counsel to not pursue more aggressive interventions.

The significance of this outcome goes beyond a number, or a percent of risk. For patients, the uncertainty around an incidental lung nodule can be deeply unsettling. The Nodify Lung test results assist in not only providing clinical direction, but also in providing peace of mind for the patient.

Patient Disclaimer: Preston Ives is an employee of Biodesix Inc.