A second opinion could save your life in two ways: revealing a diagnosis that was overlooked, or showing a false positive before life-altering treatments are begun. Either way, a second opinion could be essential to your health and well-being.
Getting a second opinion on a cancer diagnosis is not disrespectful to your doctor. In fact, doctors and scientists are very familiar with second opinions and peer reviews — it’s what confirms scientific discoveries, cures, and the medical facts we all rely on. A second opinion after a serious diagnosis like cancer should be standard operating procedure.
At Hodes Milman, we represent clients who have suffered enormously from a failure to diagnose or misdiagnosis. It is only with a second opinion that individuals discover they’ve lost treatment time, or they’ve been treating the wrong problem. In that time, treatments could cause new issues or symptoms, and improperly treated conditions can worsen or become fatal.
If you have suffered due to a misdiagnosis or a failure of diagnosis for any significant medical condition like cancer, stroke, heart attack, or chronic ailment, a lawyer could help. Our cancer misdiagnosis attorneys at Hodes Milman can be reached online or by calling our Orange County, California office directly at (949) 640-8222.
Read on for how to go about getting a second opinion on cancer diagnoses, and why it’s so important to your survival.
How to Get a Second Opinion on Cancer Diagnosis
You have every right to seek a second opinion after a cancer diagnosis. Another doctor’s input could help your peace of mind in accepting such a serious condition if confirmed. A second opinion also covers the very real chance that there was a false positive in your first diagnosis.
Here are general tips on how to get a second opinion on cancer diagnosis from a doctor:
- Inform your primary healthcare provider. Your primary doctor or oncologist can provide you with relevant medical records, test results, and other necessary documentation to share with the second opinion physician. If they are combative to the idea of a second opinion, they may not be the best doctor to continue your care or treatment.
- Seek out a specialist. Look for well-respected cancer centers or hospitals with experts in the specific type of cancer you have been diagnosed with. Research their reputation, experience, and success rates.
- Come prepared with questions. In instances where your original diagnosis is confirmed, the second opinion physician can help provide additional information, a different perspective, and potentially alternative treatment options you’d prefer.
If your second opinion returns the same diagnosis, you now have two doctors you can consult about treatment options, potential side effects, prognosis, and any alternative approaches they may recommend. If the second opinion is not consistent with the first, a misdiagnosis lawyer might be able to determine if negligence was involved already at this stage, and legal action needs can be pursued.
Seeking a second opinion is a normal part of the cancer diagnosis process, and most healthcare professionals are fully supportive of the decision. It can provide you with a broader perspective, peace of mind, and potentially better treatment outcomes.
What should you do if your second opinion suggests an error from your first doctor? Contact medical malpractice and cancer misdiagnosis attorneys at Hodes Milman at (949) 640-8222 for a free consultation. We’ll help you explore your legal options, and pursue compensation that can help fund the proper treatment you need and deserve.
Start Your Free Consultation Now
Should You Get a Second Opinion on Cancer Diagnosis?
Yes, you should get a second opinion for a cancer diagnosis, as well as other serious conditions that involve invasive treatments. Here’s why getting a second opinion is advised:
- Reveal potential misdiagnosis: The cancer misdiagnosis rate in the U.S. is between 10-28% according to various studies. The most commonly misdiagnosed cancers according to the National Law Review (lymphoma, breast, colon, lung, and skin cancers) have even higher rates of error. It’s a real possibility you should guard against with a second opinion.
- Discover crucial discrepancies: What one doctor deems fatal with little chance of recovery may not be impossible to treat for another physician. The size and location of tumors, the specialty of the doctor, and your personal level of health and strength — all of these are factors that determine if and how to pursue treatment.
- Gain peace of mind: A second opinion on a cancer diagnosis can calm any worry about misdiagnosis or impulse to deny such devastating news. Reconfirming a correct diagnosis can give you important surety as you begin the battle of your life.
Many second opinions go smoothly, confirming your cancer diagnosis and providing you with more expert medical information as you decide what to do next.
However, if you are misdiagnosed with cancer, the treatments patients undergo can be worse than an assault on your body. Healthy organs could be removed, and harmful radiation could make you vulnerable to opportunistic infections and other harrowing side effects. Additionally, there is the emotional harm done to your mental health, the time lost in unnecessary treatments, and the fear and anguish caused to you and your family.
Misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose could be grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit. Contact our attorneys at Hodes Milman to explore your legal options.
Contact Attorneys After Second Opinion Cancer Diagnosis
A second opinion in cancer diagnosis cases could save your life in more ways than one. It can provide you with alternative treatment options more likely to suit your health and lifestyle, or proof of misdiagnosis, which would save you a world of pain and strife.
Also keep in mind: if your first doctor says you don’t have cancer after biopsying a lump, this is also a case where a second opinion is advised. While it’s the news we’d all want to hear, a false negative could be fatal, and the physician who gave it to you should be held accountable.
The sooner you can reveal, confirm, or dispel a cancer diagnosis with a second opinion, the sooner you can take life-saving action. In instances where a second opinion suggests malpractice or negligence from your first doctor, contact our cancer misdiagnosis attorneys by calling (949) 640-8222 to discuss legal options. By doing so, you could secure the funds needed for proper treatment, and help spare other patients from the same situation.
