Second opinions

[Lordylordy]

Everyone here seems very set on getting second opinions. It makes a lot of sense. But, what if you doctor is Dr. Kemeny, do you still get another opinion and from who??

Thanks!

[KWT]

Unless she says something you don't like it sounds like you're good to go.

[Nik Colon]

I didnt get any second opinions on who I seen. I was told they were some of the best. CR surgeon did his own sig after my colonoscopy. Had ct and pet scan, both checked by 2 or more docs and compared, etc. I have had an overall great experiences with everyone I have seen so I'm sticking to the plan as of now. I guess it would be up to you and where you live, who specialize in it, etc, then make the decision you feel is the right one for you.

[rp1954]

Opinions are also part of our learning process. In more advanced circumstances, Kemeny or MSKCC might demur from multiple site met surgeries that another group would still be willing to tackle multimodally. A consult with Dr Lin for other chemo options down the road might be useful. Different kinds of doctors have different opportunities. Extra preparation with more options/drs on tap, not being technically and psychologically dependent on one view, is an important defense against the unexpected.

[Carolinabluetec]

I suspect that it depends somewhat upon the how you are staged. I suspect that that very few Stage I or Stage II people seek second opinions unless the original Doc suggests something totally off the wall or is a PIA.

[jjinmd]

I haven't gotten any second opinions (yet). As others have said, I was comfortable with what I was hearing vs. what I had researched, and felt like the experience level of my docs was totally up to par with my diagnosis. If that changes down the line, I would seek a second opinion from a specialist in whatever comes my way. Sounds like you are in good hands!

[alphagam]

My first thought, almost, was getting a second opinion. My gut feeling was well founded as the first GI told me I had a T3 tumor based on EUS, that I need chemo/rad, rest, APR and follow-up chemo. 2nd opinion found a localized 5 cm mass that was only in the lining of the rectum. Stage 0. Follow ups continue, next scope is 3 March, but I will ever be thankful for my 2 NED opinion

[lentini66]

I saw Dr. Kemeny at SK for a 2nd opinion at the urging of people in my family. By the time I saw her I already had the Stage 3c tumor removed and wanted to be sure that the chemo treatment that I was set to start in Denver, CO was what she would do. She explained that there are some very standard treatment protocols and that the Folfox, that was recommended was the standard and that she wouldn't do anything differently.

[nkoske]

Everyone here seems very set on getting second opinions. It makes a lot of sense. But, what if you doctor is Dr. Kemeny, do you still get another opinion and from who??

Thanks!

The ultimate second opinion

It might have been nothing, but Scott had gotten her thyroid removed a few months earlier, so the pair had been keeping an especially close eye on anything that might have indicated a complication. Balzer pestered his wife to get an MRI, and when she finally agreed, the scan revealed a mass inside her skull, a three-centimeter tumor lodged behind her left eye. They were understandably terrified, but neurologists who read the radiology report seemed unconcerned, explaining that such masses were common among women, and suggested Scott have it checked again in a year.

That didn’t sit well with Balzer. Scott’s recent thyroid surgery had taught them that getting the best care requires being proactive and extremely well informed. A typical thyroid removal is performed via a large incision across the throat that requires a long, uncomfortable recovery and leaves a big scar, but when he and Scott began looking for alternatives, they discovered that she could avoid all that if they traveled from their home in California to the Center for Robotic Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. There, surgeons perform delicate procedures with a robotic arm that scales down their movements, making them smaller and more precise than what the human hand is capable of alone. The experience familiarized Balzer and Scott with both the cutting edge of medical technology and the importance of doing their own research. So although the first doctors told them to wait, Balzer and Scott sent the MRI results to a handful of neurologists around the country. Nearly all of them agreed that Scott needed surgery.
...
Balzer downloaded a free software program called InVesalius, developed by a research center in Brazil to convert MRI and CT scan data to 3D images. He used it to create a 3D volume rendering from Scott’s DICOM images, which allowed him to look at the tumor from any angle. Then he uploaded the files to Sketchfab and shared them with neurosurgeons around the country in the hope of finding one who was willing to try a new type of procedure. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he found the doctor he was looking for at UPMC, where Scott had her thyroid removed. A neurosurgeon there agreed to consider a minimally invasive operation in which he would access the tumor through Scott’s left eyelid and remove it using a micro drill. Balzer had adapted the volume renderings for 3D printing and produced a few full-size models of the front section of Scott’s skull on his MakerBot. To help the surgeon vet his micro drilling idea and plan the procedure, Balzer packed up one of the models and shipped it off to Pittsburgh.
...
Scott had the tumor removed at UPMC in May 2014 through a small opening above her left eye. The neurosurgeon discovered that the tumor was starting to entangle her optic nerves, and told her that if she had waited six months, she would have had severe, and possibly permanent, degradation of her sight. The procedure took eight hours and 95% of the tumor was removed. She was back at work in three weeks. Her scars, Balzer says, are visible only to her.

http://makezine.com/magazine/hands-on-health-care/


Especially when it comes to surgery a lot of times what one docs thinks may not be possible another may attempt.

[lpas]

I saw Dr. Kemeny at SK for a 2nd opinion at the urging of people in my family. By the time I saw her I already had the Stage 3c tumor removed and wanted to be sure that the chemo treatment that I was set to start in Denver, CO was what she would do. She explained that there are some very standard treatment protocols and that the Folfox, that was recommended was the standard and that she wouldn't do anything differently.

I saw Dr. Marshall in DC for a 2nd opinion several weeks ago and he essentially told me the same thing. Seems like there's not a lot of room for creativity when it comes to chemo regimens at Stage III, although I'm tentatively planning to try Celebrex as an add-on to the standard FOLFOX/XELOX.

[exaussie]

I think it depends on how you feel and if you are comfortable with Drs advice and also staging and age. We had 2nd and 3rd opinions as our son was stage 4 and 27 yrs old. By the way, we were told the same diagnoses and chemo regimen from all 3 Drs so we were good to go.

[Nik Colon]

I would like to add my 2 cents once more. It's great if you have the time, money, etc to look all over but many dont. I live in MN and I feel comfortable with almost anywhere I go as I know MN has some of the best docs in all fields. I am going to the U of M which I know the Mayo clinic is #3 in cancer, #1 in many others and in the top in like 16 specialties. We have other of the best treatment centers, etc. I know U of M is not #1 but they are still good and closer. I can't afford THE BEST IN THE WORLD, so I will take pretty Fricken good!