When should we seek a second opinion?

When should we seek a second opinion?

Mark’s comment:

When my mother was diagnosed with colon cancer twenty
years ago, we knew that there was a really good clinic (hospital)
to go to for treatment in our area, so we went there. But
my mother interviewed a number of doctors at the clinic
until she found one she was comfortable with—the decision
had nothing to do with me. As a physician’s widow, she was
fairly well equipped to do her own questioning, so she did it
and I didn’t try to interfere. Back then there weren’t that
many cancer specialists, and she questioned the clinic’s doctors
very thoroughly. With my friends Frank and Janet, who
were diagnosed more recently, we did some Internet research
and asked people familiar with cancer treatment to recommend
someone. There are a lot of big-name cancer treatment
centers in the Boston area, so we started with those. Frank
ended up switching from his first doctor to someone at a
renowned cancer specialty hospital and was much happier
with the treatment he got. As for Janet, it turned out that the
surgical oncologist that Janet’s doctor had referred her to was
the same man who came most highly recommended by a
brain surgeon my wife knew, so that worked out pretty well.

Some people are comfortable with the treatment
options presented by the first physician they consult.
However, patients get second opinions from other
doctors for many reasons, and seeking another opinion
should be viewed positively by the original doctor. You
may seek another opinion due to insurance company
requirements, because your loved one is diagnosed
with a rare or advanced cancer, or simply because you
feel most comfortable exploring more options.

You may wish to seek a second opinion from a specialist
at a large cancer research center. Some people
decide to have their treatment at the cancer specialty
hospital, but others get second opinions and then
decide to undergo treatment locally, depending on the
recommendations and treatment options. Many oncologists
believe that a second opinion should be standard
for every new cancer diagnosis.

Seeking a second opinion can be helpful when deciding
between or among different treatment options. Be
sure to take all medical records with you, including
copies of X-ray films, pathology/diagnostic reports
and/or other information about the cancer (or suspected)
diagnosis, or the person’s medical history. If
the information or recommendation provided by the
physicians is confusing, discuss your concerns and
questions with the involved physicians openly so that
they can address your questions up-front. If necessary,
you may wish to seek multiple opinions; be careful,
however, that medical treatment is not delayed too
long since the timing of medical intervention is sometimes
an important factor in determining its appropriateness
for use.