Second opinion from major center leads to better detection, treatment changes.

2004 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Women with breast cancer who seek a second opinion on their mammograms from experienced specialists at a major cancer center frequently get a new plan for their care, a new study shows.

Some even learn that they have cancer in more locations than they think. After a consultation, 7% of all patients in the new study found out that they had more cancer in the same breast, or a previously undiscovered tumor in the other breast. Many other patients received advice from the consulting physicians that altered their imaging or treatment plans.

These new research findings, made by a team at the University of Michigan (U-M) Comprehensive Cancer Center, were presented December 4, 2003, at the national meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

The data show that seeking a second opinion for breast cancer may make a big difference in a patient's diagnosis and treatment. Second opinions are often covered by insurance, but patients usually need to seek them on their own.

"Although many patients' diagnostic and treatment plans stayed the same after a consultation, enough of them changed that we see added value from seeking the opinion of a specialized team with extensive experience," says Amy Rochester Guest, MD, the U-M radiologist who led the study. "This is especially true for complex cases, but any patient may benefit from a second opinion, whether she returns to her original physician and care plan or transfers to the larger center."

For the study, the team looked back at the medical records of 148 women who came to the U-M Breast Care Center for a consultation after being diagnosed with, and in some cases treated for, breast cancer at other institutions. They compared the findings and recommendations of the outside doctors with those made by the U-M team.

The data that Guest presented at RSNA focused on the results of the imaging portion of the consultation and recommendations made based on initial and additional breast images. All the radiologists at the U-M center see hundreds of consultation cases each year. The U-M team conducts a 1-day radiology, surgical, and pathology consult for every woman who seeks a second opinion, including further images and tests if necessary.