Second Opinion Change Treatment

Ivanhoe Newswire
Monday, December 4, 2006; 12:00 AM

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Getting a second opinion could make a big difference for breast cancer patients.

A new study by researchers at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor reveals more than half of breast cancer patients who sought a second opinion got a different recommendation for their treatment. The second opinions were from a multidisciplinary tumor board, which includes various specialists who focus on treating breast cancer including surgery, radiation oncology, medical oncology, radiology and pathology.

Researchers looked at the records of 149 patients already diagnosed with breast cancer who were referred to a multidisciplinary tumor board for a second opinion. They found half of the patients had one or more changes in their surgery recommendations. Reasons for the changes included reading a mammogram differently and interpreting biopsy results differently.

Investigators report the first treatment recommendations often did not consider new surgery techniques, which could lead to better outcomes. Results also show radiologists re-interpreted imaging results in 45 percent of the patients, sometimes finding undiagnosed cancers. Getting another biopsy was recommended to more than one-fourth of the patients.

Previous research suggests many radiologists interpret mammograms differently. Those who specialize in breast imaging usually find more abnormalities.

The authors conclude, "Multidisciplinary review can provide patients with useful additional information when making difficult treatment decisions."

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SOURCE: CANCER, 2006;107:2346-2351