My 62 year old mother recently had some pre-surgery tests done before an eye operation last Tuesday and was told that they found a small shadow on the lowest part of one of her lungs on her chest x-ray. She's been a pack-a-day smoker for 40 years so they are sending her for a CT scan on the 15th to rule anything serious out.

She had a chest x-ray 1.5 years ago and it was normal.

Is it possible for a small shadow on the lung to be something other than cancer?

I've shed many tears about this over the past week. I am so sick with worry. My mum has been my best friend all of my life and the thought of losing her to cancer is so overwhelming to me. :(

Yes it is. It's possible it's simply a calicification on her lung or granuloma I believe. I recently had a CAT scan for the same thing. I'm a smoker for 20 some odd years and had a bout of pneumonia last month, so of course I was sent for an xray which showed a single pulmonary nodule, spot, shadow, whatever. It turned out to be fine. Just think positive as hard as that is to do, I know. But take comfort in the fact that it very well could be something else. As they say, Ya don't know til ya know. Best of luck to you and mom and I'll say a couple prayers. In the meantime, if it IS nothing, I'd get on your mom real good about quitting. I finally have. Keep me posted.