Does Mayo provide 2nd Opinions to interpret Prostate MRI?

@broderbund1
Welcome to Mayo Connect. Hopefully a member who has gone through the process of 2nd opinion for a MRI review can provide addition information.

You can also contact Mayo directly with your questions:
Start your appointment request use this link http://mayocl.in/1mtmR63.
Your request will be reviewed and a time will be set up to discuss with an appointment coordinator to assist you with the process.

I got a 2nd opinion on MRI from Mayo. They had me send it electronically directly from my clinic in Minneapolis. The clinic knew just what to do. I think it was only a couple of days before I got an assessment back. May have been quicker because I was trying to get into a clinical study with Tulsa Pro and I am not very patient 😉

@broderbund1
I had my tests done a Mayo. I requested a second opinion done at UFHPTI. UFHPTI handled the request for medical records from Mayo. It was done (second opinion) without going into UFHPTI. When UFHPTI sent me their diagnosis they set me up with an appointment to discuss treatment options and if I wanted to contine my treaments with UFHPTI or was I staying at Mayo.

I had a MRI with contrast done at Mayo. I had fusionMRI biopsies done at Mayo. I had bone scan at Mayo. This medical information was sent to UFHPTI for second opinion. The R/O at UFHPTI recommned one additional test the PSMA.

@broderbund1

I have a success story in addition to @jcf58 and agree they will know what to do when you contact them.

My daughter contacted Mayo MN electronically using the link @roch provided above. She wanted to get a second opinion about getting stem cell treatment for her hip. They asked her to send a copy of her MRI. Within a few days she received a call learning they would be able to help her. At her appointment in Rochester (this was before virtual appointments became a thing), they sat her in front of a screen with her MRI and explained what she was looking at. They recommended surgery and connected her to a surgeon local to her back home. That doc was a great experience for her.

I am interested to hear more about your process as you go through it. Will you come back and provide updates as you learn more?

I had 3 telehealth second opinions from 3 different institutions that were either centers of excellence or from dr's trained at centers of excellence. The timing varied from a week and a half to a month.

A second read of biopsy slides and mpMRIs does not establish a doctor patient relationship. A true second clinical opinion is a more comprehensive evaluation including a physical exam, review of records, etc. It should be in the context of agreeing or disagreeing with the primary clinician. In my humble opinion (IMHO) there is an ethical conflict of interest to say I do not agree with doctor #1 you should come here. Possibly the skill sets and technology may not be available with Doctor 1. Maybe the second opinion doctor can suggest another Center of Excellence to accomplish the different recommendations if any. It gets pretty difficult for people of modest means to do that often. BTW; A simple second read of biopsies results in a more aggressive opinion 20% of the time. There is also an AI based MRI service: It is my understanding CMS (Medicare) requires an initial real world evaluation before zoom visits are 'covered',

I had a Mayo doctor request that I have a CT scan done at my local clinic. IIRC he did say that he saw things in the images that the reading radiologist didn't include in their findings. Whatever they were they apparently didn't shed any beneficial light on my isue. So from that standpoint it could be a good idea to get a second look. Also after I had my appointments some MRIs were reread by Mayo radiologists as a matter of course.

PSA rising: MRI in February of 2025 at the VA in Gainesville, Florida. Also PET scan. RESULT: No definitive indication of prostate cancer. I thought about a second opinion or having the process done again at Mayo in Jacksonville, Florida. I called and spent some time on the phone. Endstate: I now have a client number and full medical history on file. I have TriCare for Life, which means 100% of all medical is paid (former US Army officer now retired).

From the conversation with the very kind and courteous Mayo administrative rep, they usually want a face-to-face with Mayo doctors and the client. It is an option not yet been done because PSA has slowed. Always consider a second opinion and Mayo Clinic is one of the nation's best medical options. There is a Marriott Hotel very nearby whereas one can walk to the main clinic. RH/Florida

@westernflyer
I have been a patient at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville since 2006. My diagnostics test were done a Mayo Jacksonville for PC. I had a second opinion done at UFHPTI (Jacksonville) and chose to have proton radiation there instead to photon radiation at Mayo Jacksonville.

May Jacksonville is building a brand new cancer center that will open in 2026. The new center will have proton radiation where now those (children, eye cancer, brain cancer, etc.) needing the specific benefits of proton beam are referred to UFHPTI.

I am not sure who you post was intended for but in addition to Marriott Courtyard there are many close motels like Hilton, Resident Inn all very close by who offer transportation to/from Mayo Clinic. Before I moved to Jacksonville area I stayed many times as Marriott Courtyard.

jc76: Thanks for your comment. In 2010, I underwent proton radiation therapy at Loma Linda Hospital in Loma Linda, California. I spent 2.5 months each weekday morning under the gantry proton machine. I came to meet and know a number of patients each morning whilst waiting for my turn. Loma Linda was a pioneer in proton radiation therapy, going back to the mid-1990s. Initially, for children with brain cancer, the program was modified to include prostate cancer and other targeted cancers for which proton radiation therapy was beneficial. I recall the initial cost of the Cylatrone machine was over 200 million dollars (in the mid-90s).
Diagnosed (two biopsies) at Gleason 3 plus 3; PSA: 6.47. Over the past couple of years, my PSA has begun to rise.
"watchful waiting" is the keyword..My posting was a reference to a Mayo study in that certain vegetables (brussels sprouts) have a unique "chemical" which slows or inhibits cancerous reproductive growth. Please review my initial discussion on this topic. Just search "westernflyer". I compared my PSA from last Feb to a PSA of just a couple of weeks ago and no change. It has stayed the same...although elevated from having proton radiation (15 years ago), the PSA remains "normal". Keep in mind, BPH can also elevate your PSA without any symptoms or physical issues. As mentioned, I had an MRI and PET scan and nothing.. Lastly, while waiting each morning for the proton "zap", I had an opportunity to speak to others waiting their turn. Almost 80% were physicians. That alone reinforced my singular decision to undertake proton radiation therapy. RH/Florida