Breast cancer and medical second opinion

Fatih Agalar

• If you’re not feeling confident about your diagnosis and treatment plan, we encourage you to have informed decision on your treatment plan.

• This is especially important with breast cancer because you may have several treatment choices, depending on your type and stage of breast cancer.

• Here at AMC we see many patients seeking a second opinion.

A second opinion can give you:• confirmation of your biopsy results• more information about your type and stage of

cancer• additional treatment plan options• an opportunity to evaluate factors beyond

clinical care and treatment, such as the availability of support groups, classes, and genetic testing

• DON’T WORRY• Most breast cancer doctors are

very comfortable with their patients seeking a second opinion.

• If you get a second opinion, the doctor may agree with your first doctor's diagnosis and treatment plan or the second doctor may suggest another approach.

• Either way you will have more information You may also feel more confident about the decisions you make knowing that you have looked carefully at your options.

• It is important to be sure that treatments you receive are in keeping with the NCCN or similar treatment guidelines. So consider printing off the guidelines for patient document.

• They contain the guidelines for treatment based on the stage of the disease and prognostic factors of the breast tumor that are considered gold standart for the most of breast cancer specialists

• In AMC we give answers to medical second opinions requests as soon as possible.

• In most cases, a several week delay in starting treatment will not make treatment less effective.

• To make sure, you should discuss this possible delay with your doctor. Some women with breast cancer need treatment right away.

• There are many ways to find a breast cancer doctor for a second opinion. You can ask your doctor, a medical society, another hospital