Why should I get a second opinion about a breast cancer diagnosis?

Two minds are better than one. The two doctors may agree with each other, confirming that the treatment plan is reasonable. However, if the oncologist has made a mistake -- and mistakes do happen -- a second opinion could make all the difference in outcome. Sometimes, for example, one doctor will say that the cancer is too advanced to operate, while another oncologist -- who might be more familiar with that particular type of cancer or with the surgical procedure that would be required to remove it -- will consider it operable. In other cases, bringing in a specialist leads to the discovery that it's a different kind of breast cancer altogether. The new oncologist may have more experience with a certain type of breast cancer or may interpret the test results differently or decide to run new tests, which could provide new insight. If you're trying to decide whether getting a second opinion is worth it, ask yourself whether you'd go the extra mile if a second examination discovered that the tumor is a more treatable type than the first doctor believes.