2nd opinion from major center leads to better breast cancer detection, treatme...( CHICAGO - Women with breast cancer who ...),Health

After a consultation, 7 percent 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 Comprehensive Cancer Center, will be presented Dec. 4 at the national meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.

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, M.D., 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 will present at RSNA focus on the results of the imaging portion of the consultation, and recommendations made based on initial and addi
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Contact: Kara Gavin
kegavin@umich.edu
734-764-2220
University of Michigan Health System
4-Dec-2003