Peachy the Magazine July August 2015 | Page 98

The Power of a C Second Opinion Caroline was a healthy 46 year old diagnosed with breast carcinoma in situ following a radiology biopsy done after an abnormal mammogram. As with many women, she was eager to proceed with treatment and was quickly referred to a surgeon through her primary care with no forethought or research on treatment options. She was scheduled for a lumpectomy and node biopsy only to find out a month later that the cancer was more advanced, and she would require further surgery and treatment. Review of the pathology from the first surgery confirmed an invasive high-grade cancer that would have been better treated with mastectomy, chemotherapy and postoperative radiation. Performing the incorrect surgery only delayed treatment and added more pain and confusion to an already stressful situation. Caroline i s like many patients in that she did not consider a second opinion 96 WRITTEN BY Nancy Palermo Lietz, MD PEACHYTHEMAGAZINE.COM prior to her surgery. In fact, only one in every five patients seeks a second opinion. This number is fairly constant even when the diagnosis involves cancer or another complicated or serious diagnosis. A 2015 study in the American Journal of Medicine reviewed the outcomes of a National Patient Initiated Second Opinion program from Best Doctors, Inc. It revealed patients only sought second opinions in about 20 percent of cases. When they did, it was most commonly related to treatment options (41 percent) and diagnostic concerns (35 percent). The study found that second opinions resulted in changes in the diagnosis or treatment 41 percent of the time. Patients generally don’t seek a second opinion because they do not want to upset their current physician, or they are eager to proceed with treatment. Many patients are also concerned that a second opinion will be an extra cost to