When and why do you get a second opinion and consults?

That’s what I wanna know as well. And would my insurance even cover something like that?

Insurance should cover a second opinion. Any physician that would be offended by this doesn't deserve to to have their hands anywhere near you. I was very comfortable with my oncologist, so I didn't get second or third opinions, but if anything ever seemed wishy washy or off, I would have certainly sought out second opinions. I am lucky to be in the medical field and had tight connections with a handpicked team, so I was comfortable from the start. Be careful to not let getting further opinions slow down the works too much though.

I too consulted with multiple oncologists and received similar but not identical ideas on the treatment side. I was confused about what route to take, but I was quickly brought to my senses by both the specialist who performed my endoscopy and a daughter-in-law international cancer research coordinator who put it simply: we fortunately live near a nationally ranked Comprehensive Cancer Research and Treatment Center. We should take the preliminary diagnosis measures performed at a nearby general hospital and then get discharged with a referral to the CCRC. It's a beyond-impressive facility with top shelf professional and staff expertise. The 57 nationally top-ranked treatment centers are listed at Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCI-designated_Cancer_Center I urge you to consult it.

Totally agree with the others. I was misdiagnosed by ProHealth as Stage 1. I sought a second opinion at Mayo and was diagnosed Stage 3, locally advanced. Big difference. I'd be dying right now if I didn't get a second opinion.

I my opinion, you should seek 2nd opinions on your diagnosis, staging and treatment options. I'm a 6 yr survivor of ESCC. I was not satisfied with the initial diagnosis, staging and prognosis and proposed treatment of my disease by my initial physician. Thus, I sought 2nd opinions at MSK in NY and MD Anderson in Houston, TX. Both institutions have excellent referral services that help with scheduling your travel, accommodations as well as rapid scheduling of your physician appointments, diagnostic procedures and lab testing. The Mayo Clinic offers similar services
My initial consult with MSK resulted in a restating of Mt disease and the development of an aggressive radiotherapy and chemotherapy regimens which I underwent at my local regional cancer center with good clinical results Unfortunately, after 2 yrs of no evidence of active diseas. I suffered a relapse. I went to MD Anderson for yet another opinion re treatment of my disease. I met with the GI- oncology team, the oncologic surgery team, radiation oncology and their clinical trials group. They formulated a treatment plan for consisting of targeted radiotherapy and surgical removal of tumor/lymph nodes. Rather than undergo the procedures there in Houston, I elected to have them performed at Duke Cancer Center. I under went SBMRT radiotherapy for retroperitoneal, abdominal and pelvic nodes in January with excellent results. As I write reply, I am sitting in the surgery waiting room at Duke University Hospital awaiting to be take back for a minimally invasive thoracotomy to remove mediastinal lymph nodes.
If you medical records are kept on Epic's MyChart app, they may be shared between all the institutions that use MyChart.

Don't delay seeking a second opinion. Do it ASAP.

I was diagnosed with stage IIIb adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and received chemo-radiation treatment at Johns Hopkins University, an excellent teaching hospital. After treatment, my doctors recommended waiting to see if the cancer returns before considering surgery. While I was initially concerned about this approach, I decided to get a second opinion from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Their team offered similar advice—to monitor and wait before proceeding with surgery, though they did suggest a slightly different surgical option. I was very relieved to hear consistent recommendations from both institutions. Thankfully, my care team at Johns Hopkins was fully supportive of my decision to seek a second opinion. My insurance did cover the cost of the tests and doctors visits at Mayo for the second opinion

@dorothy314, @lulu3780 and others. I think you'll appreciate this blog post by the Cancer Education Center at Mayo Clinic:

- Tips for seeking a second opinion https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/cancer-education-center/newsfeed-post/tips-for-seeking-a-second-opinion/

If you would like to inquire about a second opinion with Mayo Clinic experts, you can get started here: http://mayocl.in/1mtmR63