Should I Get a Second Opinion Concerning My Breast Cancer from Another Doctor?

Question: Should I get a second opinion concerning my breast cancer from another doctor, and if so, when?

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Answer: Second opinions are very valuable. And probably, the most important second opinion you can get is a pathologist's second opinion. You need to take your microscopic slides and show those to another pathologist who is a breast pathologist or who looks at a great deal of breast pathology. Because you could see ten surgeons, and if all they have is the pathology report, they are all reacting to a single report. What if that report is wrong? And we have certainly seen one pathologist change the reading from another pathologist. So I think the most important second opinion might be the pathology report. Following that, you need to get second opinions from treating physicians; for example, surgeons and sometimes, medical oncologists.

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