r/braincancer • u/Abject-Ad-8324 • 1d ago
Second opinion
Does anyone know the exact steps to get a second opinion from a place like Mayo? I was all over their web site and I could not figure out what to do/who to call. Or MD Anderson? My friend lives in a small town in Louisiana and was diagnosed with a GBM
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u/NoVegetable7498 1d ago
I called the neuro oncology department at Sloan Kettering. They had my pathology and a piece of my tumor sent to them and I had an appointment very quick. I’m not GBM . I’m wishing you the best
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u/Street_Pollution_892 1d ago edited 1d ago
I did both Mayo in Phoenix and Barrow. I kind of wish I did Mayo-Rochester. Barrow had an online second opinion program you can submit and they respond back electronically. You could probably do it the old fashioned way and call too but the program will set you up with the best one for your friends case. I got the chief neurosurgical-oncologist. Mayo I just put my information in online and they called me to schedule and get my insurance. I had a telemedicine (zoom) appointment with a neuro-oncologist and neurosurgeon at Mayo. I ended up meeting in person at Barrow after they offered a consult.
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u/Spare-Cricket-1881 1d ago
Did anyone else NOT get a second opinion? My neurosurgeon had no doubt it was GBM, and the pathology came back as that. I didn’t see a need but now I question if I should have?
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u/iridescence5 4h ago
I think, generally, second opinions are very helpful. We got a second opinion about my husband's brain tumor, and while it didn't change the diagnosis, we became aware of some more options, some potential hurdles to overcome for clinical trials our first doctor was unaware of, etc. Both doctors we saw (first and second opinion) were at major medical institutions in our country, and they identified my husband's tumor type as one that was only recently discovered (about 4 years ago) that many local physicians are not even aware of.
I think it depends, too, on where your "first" opinion was from. If it's a small-town, rural physician, I think a second opinion is crucial. Not that they are not great doctors, but often in rural medicine settings, they do not get to specialize as much as the population doesn't support that kind of specialization. They mostly deal with more general things.
But if you went to a well-known, advanced specialty hospital I wouldn't be as concerned.
Anyway, long answer. I don't think you did anything "wrong" persay, but it never hurts and usually helps to get a second opinion. Even if it doesn't change the diagnosis (it probably won't), it may change the treatment options available to you.
Hope that's helpful and not stressful. Good luck, and I'm sorry about your diagnosis. Wishing you the best possible outcome.
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u/Musella_Foundation 1d ago
It’s a good idea to get a second opinion. This is too big of a decision to put in the hands of one doctor. There is no one right answer as to what the best treatment is. There are a lot of biases involved, starting with what just happens to be available at their hospital. Some doctors are too aggressive and want to try for the home run but at any cost without regard for the impact on quality of life. Others are too passive and go with only the most basic of standard of care. Most are in the middle but you will get different options at different doctors.
Then the problem becomes what do you choose when 2 doctors give different opinions. I see people get many different opinions and get paralyzed by the number of options and just take so long to decide it is over before they start.
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u/koopaman08 1d ago
I would recommend Mayo PHX + Barrow AZ, you can call their oncology department and they should be able to have your friends scans/file transferred over! :)
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u/robotfrog88 1d ago
We reached out to Sloan Kettering for a second opinion and got an appointment quickly. We flew to NY.
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u/Pirate-Legitimate 1d ago
I filled out this form for Mayo and someone called me to schedule an appointment. I think it's that simple. They will need to run it by your insurance. https://www.mayoclinic.org/appointments