Experts Recommend Getting a Second Opinion
- Many specialists encourage patients to seek a second opinion, particularly in the case of complex cancers like brain tumors.
- Doctors at community hospitals and those at major cancer centers often collaborate to offer you the best care possible.
- Studies show that patients treated at specialized, high-volume brain tumor centers—often found in academic institutions—tend to have better survival rates and more personalized care.
- These centers usually employ neuropathologists adept at in-depth molecular testing, ensuring a more accurate diagnosis and tailored treatment possibilities.
- Seeking care or collaboration with a center with a dedicated brain tumor program may give you better access to clinical trials, innovative surgical techniques, and the latest targeted therapies not always available in smaller community settings.
It’s normal to feel uncertain about the next steps, treatments, and even your initial diagnosis. In this moment, seeking a second opinion—particularly from an academic or specialized brain tumor center—can provide clarity, help you understand treatment options, and potentially improve your overall outcome.
Read More“I think it’s very important to make sure that you’re seeing someone who knows about all of these new molecular issues and has a neuropathologist and team that can do this kind of testing for you to truly know what your tumor is and what the molecular phenotype is and the proper treatments that are secondary to all that information,” he adds.
The Benefit of Major, or Academic, Centers
Academic centers often handle a higher volume of brain tumor cases, which means their teams are more familiar with the nuanced biology of different tumor types. They’re also home to neuropathologists, who specialize in identifying the subtle differences among tumors. This matters because what might appear under the microscope as one type of tumor could, through more sophisticated molecular testing, turn out to be something else entirely. The right diagnosis can often open up a broader range of treatments or clarify the best next steps.
Beyond diagnostics, a second opinion in a specialized brain tumor program can give you access to the latest clinical trials, advanced surgical techniques, and therapies that might not be available at smaller community hospitals.
Physicians and researchers at these institutions often collaborate across multiple disciplines—neurosurgery, radiation oncology, neuro-oncology, and even genetics—to tailor a plan that accounts for every aspect of your tumor and overall health. This cohesive, team-based approach can be particularly valuable if your tumor has unique molecular features or if you’re dealing with a rarer type of brain cancer.
“It’s not diffusing out into the community as much as we would like. There are still a lot of brain tumor patients who are getting treated locally, some of them appropriately, some of them not. And then we end up seeing them later on when they’re progressing and they’ve already been through a couple of the initial steps in treatment, but then by the time we get them, often it’s kind of late in the game, and there’s not a lot we can do,” Dr. Newton adds.
Why Seek a Second Opinion?
The advantages of seeking a second opinion are far from only scientific gainings; they’re emotional, supportive, and practical as well. Getting a fresh perspective can ease the lingering doubts you may have about your initial diagnosis, giving you greater peace of mind.
Even if the second opinion confirms everything you heard from your first doctor, you’ll at least know you’ve explored all your options. Many patients describe feeling relieved and more confident in their health care after a second opinion. In some cases, if your second opinion suggests a different treatment path, you’ll have vital information that could change the trajectory of your care.
Dr. Newton stresses that, is possible, patients should seek an opinion from a doctor at an academic cancer center as soon as possible.
“It would be better to get them into us earlier. We have more chances of offering them a clinical trial. We have better neurosurgery with people who are brain-tumor-trained neurosurgeons who can do better surgeries. Same thing with radiation oncology,” he explains.
One important mark that has enabled easier second opinions is that you can have it from wherever you are with telehealth, ameliorating your efforts and saving time. Your records can easily be shared between doctors and community hospitals often work with major cancer centers to give their patients the best care possible.
Remember, taking this extra step doesn’t mean you don’t trust your first doctor. Instead, it’s about ensuring you have every possible advantage in your corner—accurate diagnoses, advanced treatment options, and the wisdom of a team experienced in the complexities of brain tumors.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
- Do you recommend second opinions to your patients?
- Is there a major, or academic, cancer center that you typically collaborate with?
- Can we communicate with the cancer center via telehealth?
- Is there any reason I might need to travel for treatment?
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