Has anyone gotten a second opinion for before lung cancer surgery?

cynthia19591965 @cynthia19591965
Hi Cynthia, I had a rt lower lobectomy and yes, I did get a second opinion from an independant Thoracic Surgeon. The Thoracic surgeon looked at my CT scans and medical history and told me I "absolutely should have the surgery". It was re-assuring for sure. The second opinion is included in our teachers insurance plan here in Ontario, Canada.
In Ontario, the second opinion takes some time, so if you are going to do it, you may want to get started.
Please keep us posted. The diagnosis can be a bit of a shock and I understand you being hesitant. This was the first cancer for me.

I believe that getting second or third opinions is very reasonable after all it’s your life and you want the best outcome possible. I was diagnosed in 2020 when the pandemic started and with two small tumours in my upper left lobe I just wanted them gone. I wasn’t given any more than one option which was a lobectomy and I put my faith in the doctor and God, thankfully I am still here six years later. I noticed that you didn’t mention what other options you were given, also you would be asking doctors from the same group so you’re probably right that they will give you the same options, I think that you’re feeling insecure because you said that they presented your options in such a way that left you feeling doubts and I totally understand, it might be better if you were to go back to the doctor and ask them to go over everything again to clear up any fears that you have, it’s in your best interest and a very wise decision, best wishes.

Surgeons want to operate, glad you pulled that out of them. Please know though, that surgery is the gold standard in treatment. Do get a second opinion at a different hospital. A teaching hospital if one is available.

Yes, get a second opinion. Even if the second doctor agrees with the first, you'll feel more confident it's the right treatment. I know I did.

@frouke My other options are radiation and Segectomey.

Cynthia, I had a segmentectomy. They didn’t offer it as an option, that’s just what they said they were going to do. I had it done at Mayo in Phoenix. They weee confident that would get the tumor and preserve my lung function. I am SO glad! It’s not a full lobe out, and more than just a wedge. I only had 1 cancerous lesion and I think it was close to 2cm. It was adenocarcinoma stage 1b. No lymph nodes involved. That was a little over 3 years ago. My latest scan in April came back still clear. It may depend on where it is located in your lung as to what they can do for the best results. Mine was in my upper left lung. Best of Luck to you! Ask EVERY question you have! Write them down so you don’t forget and make sure they are answered to YOUR satisfaction. God Bless you and keep care of you!🙏❤️

Cynthia, I understand you're feeling uncomfortable with your surgeon. I had the same experience when, two years after my lobectomy, I needed brain surgery to remove a metastatic cyst. I found the surgeon to be very off putting. I had moved to another state by then so I contacted my oncologist in my original state. He gave me some very valuable advice. He said, "Matthew your oncologist and your primary care physician need to be your friends. You need to trust them. However, you don't care about your relationship with your surgeon. The only thing you should care about is how good are they at doing the proposed surgery?"

After that I talked with my new oncologist about how I felt about my surgeon. He assured me that she was absolutely the best choice for this job. I had the surgery and it was successful. He also told me how much training she had had. It takes 14 to 16 years of coursework, clinical rotations, and residency to become a neurosurgeon. A couple of years fewer to become a thoracic surgeon.

If you really want a second opinion, you should tell your oncologist. He or she will either tell you that they feel it's really important to get that cancer out of your body as soon as possible, before it metastasizes to another organ, or they may be able to recommend another surgeon or Cancer Center. Either way they will be able to tell you why they chose your surgeon in the first place.

I know it feels like you're in a whirlwind right now. The gold standard of care is to get that cancer out of you as soon as possible, so you're probably feeling rushed. We've all been through it. You're not alone. I'm still here 8 years after my original lobectomy and still working full time (because I love my job.) All the best to you and let us know what you decide.

@cynthia19591965 , I had a wedge section removed for my second surgery, they didn’t want to remove too much lung tissue, this was done in 2022, my last ct scan showed a slight change in my middle right lobe, I’m really upset and surgery is no longer an option, if I have to do anything I may look into radiation, I hope it doesn’t happen but that’s the way things go with this horrible disease.

Hi Cynthia, getting a second opinion is very good so you know all your options. And yes, I would not go to the same group of doctors. Someone suggested a teaching hospital. That's exactly what I did. I wanted to know if I'm on the right treatment plan. Sometimes depending on your insurance, they will pay for 2 nd opinion. If they don't pay, you may have to shoulder the cost of second opinion. Mine was about $ 600.00. Some second opinion can be done by zoom. you can go to the website of the hospital search for self referral if available. Mine took about 2 weeks to set up. I was very grateful to hear another opinion on my case. I ended up transferring my care to the clinic that gave me a second opinion. I've been much happier with the care I'm receiving now . Wish you all the best .

It may be too late to be helpful, but we had a doctor friend suggest we get a second opinion after my spouse's cancer team indicated the course of action they wanted to take. We paid out of pocket and went to a major cancer institute. While we can never know the outcome of what would have happened had we gone with the original recommendation, we feel strongly that the second opinion was very helpful and was, in fact, the better course of treatment. I encourage you to go for it. I also did not feel comfortable with the original surgeon and the one we went with after the second opinion was truly outstanding. Good luck.