Many cancer patients feel a sense of urgency immediately after getting their diagnosis and want to jump immediately into a treatment program. In some cases they may be compelling medical reasons for getting started right away, but in most cases there is time to do some research, make sure your diagnosis is correct, and time to get a second opinion if you want one.
Second opinions can offer several benefits, including:
- Confirmation of your diagnosis and treatment plan and possibly present new, additional or other treatments that you have not yet considered.
- The potential to offer a completely different plan of treatment that may be better suited to your type of cancer, personal or financial needs.
- Offer you, and your family, the opportunity to ask questions that you may not have thought of before.
- Giving you an opportunity to visit another treatment facility to see if you are more comfortable with the location, staff and services that are offered.
Many patients are shy or even embarrassed about asking their doctor to help them obtain a second opinion. Honestly, it’s your health, so if you want one, you SHOULD get one! Your insurance company may even require that you get one. So, here are some options to consider:
- Ask your current physician or surgeon for a referral for a second opinion.
- Contact your local American Cancer Society and ask for a referral to a high quality, accredited facility in your area.
- Visit the Commission on Cancer (CoC) website and search for an accredited cancer center near you. Click here to visit the CoC website and learn more about what an accredited program offers to patients and families.
Before heading off for your second opinion you will want to gather your medical records together including: operative report(s), pathology report(s), imaging studies(s) which may include printed reports as well as a digital copy of the studies on a CD-RM; laboratory (blood tests, tumor marker studies, hormone studies, etc); copies of your physician consultation, progress notes, treatment plans, etc. And, if you have already had treatment, there are usually summaries or records documenting how you were treated and with what drugs, devices or doses.
You have a right to ask for a second opinion, so don’t be shy about taking charge of your own care and getting the medical care you deserve!
