Oddly Grateful
Oddly Grateful
  • Get Lung Cancer 101 Now!

Oddly Grateful

This is a place to live, laugh, learn, and love. …Even in the most heart-wrenching trenches of experiencing life, we can choose to be ~ *Oddly Grateful*

Oddly Grateful
  • Lung Cancer 101
  • HEALING & HOPE
    • Lung Cancer Knowledge Base
  • About Lynn Sherwood
  • Contact Lynn Sherwood
    • Home

Day 24 – LUNG CANCER ADVICE: Second Medical Opinions & Tumor Boards

  • HEALING & HOPE
  • LUNG CANCER
LUNG CANCER ADVICE: Second Medical Opinions & Tumor Boards

Day 24 – LUNG CANCER ADVICE:  Second Medical Opinions & Tumor Boards

Should I get a second opinion?

If diagnosed with lung cancer, you or your loved one may want a second opinion.  This may be because you desire verification of your diagnosis to believe this is actually happening, or to gain the confidence in confirming that you are on the right treatment path.  You may want a second opinion because you and your doctor are not communication well, you feel as though you cannot ask questions openly about your care, or that your doctor is not up to date on current testing or treatment options.  You may want to seek out experts who specialize in various areas of oncology and adjunct therapies or those who know more about a certain treatment path such as clinical trials. Your health insurance company may even require it.

Choosing to get a second opinion might feel uncomfortable or confrontational, yet your oncologist will likely expect that you will get a second set of experienced eyes to review your care.  She will (hopefully) be glad to have your confidence in either the corroboration of her diagnosis and treatment plan, or will be open to the concept of emerging treatments she might not yet be comfortable with or have available at her facility.  This is YOUR body, your life, and your treatment plan ~ and you have the right to be your own best advocate for your needs.  

I appreciate these conversation starters offered by LungCancer.org:

  • “I respect your opinion and I would like to speak with one other expert before starting your recommended treatment. How can I proceed?”
  • “I need the reassurance of a second opinion and I’d like to talk with another doctor to be sure. What is the next step?”
  • “This is all so new to me and I feel that a second opinion could help me give me clarity.”

 

What exactly is a Tumor Board?

When a group of cancer treatment specialists come together to review diagnostic tests and the best possible course of treatment for a particular patient, this is called a Tumor Board.  This interdisciplinary group may consist of medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgical oncologists, etc. They are coming together to examine the course that the lung cancer is taking in your body and proposing and evaluating the best possible care options in your best interest.  

Concurrently, the process keeps the specialists’ knowledge base high as they learn from each other about emerging therapies, diagnostics and possibly unconventional treatment plans.  They may likely receive group consensus about best standards of care to follow for your particular treatment plan.

Particularly if you have a rare type of cancer, a scientifically intriguing metastasis that other medical professionals can learn about or for which another specialist might be able to provide insight, or if your cancer or symptoms fall outside the ‘norm’ of the statistical nature of your disease process, these specialists will actually revel in learning more and helping you in your cancer journey even though you may never personally meet!

RESOURCES: https://www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/lung-cancer/patients/treatment/decide-on-a-treatment/second-opinion.html, https://www.lungcancer.org/find_information/publications/264-when_to_get_a_second_opinion, https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/tumor-board-review, and https://www.interventionaloncology360.com/article/four-tips-optimizing-tumor-board-participation

See 29 more lung Cancer Facts at our knowledge base homepage  Click on the link below:

Lung Cancer Knowledge Base

Lynn Sherwood and Jason Cohen - authors of 30 Days of Lung Cancer Facts You Didn't Know You Didn't Know

LUNG CANCER ADVICE: Second Medical Opinions & Tumor Boards
November 24, 2018 Shepard

Post navigation

Day 25 – LUNG CANCER ADVICE: “Seeking Trusted Information Sources” and “Advice From Well-Meaning Friends” → ← Day 23 GOOD GRIEF! ~ Stages and Types of Grief After Loss

One thought on “Day 24 – LUNG CANCER ADVICE: Second Medical Opinions & Tumor Boards”

  1. seo hizmeti says:
    August 11, 2020 at 9:30 pm

    seo paketleri, seo hizmeti, seo satın al
    seo paketleri, seo hizmeti, seo satın al
    seo paketleri, seo hizmeti, seo satın al

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Posts

Say Her Name ~ Even though she’s dead, she lives on in me…..

“I saw the article in the newspaper last year about your daughter, Lauren, dying”, she said.  “Oh, my friend, I finally get a chance to hug you!!!”  …The flood gates […]

Growing in a Garden

GROWING IN A GARDEN “By God, you’re tall!  Did they grow you in a garden?” These were the words of my new dance mate on the cruise ship this week, […]

Day 30 – LUNG CANCER ~ 30 Days of Lung Cancer Facts in a Nutshell!

Day 30 – LUNG CANCER ~ 30 Days of Lung Cancer Facts in a Nutshell! Cancer sucks. There are 2 primary types of lung cancer:   Small Cell Lung Carcinoma: […]

Day 29 – PLANNING ~ Communication, Advance Directives & Legal Considerations When Managing Lung Cancer

Day 29 – PLANNING ~ Communication, Advance Directives & Legal Considerations When Managing Lung Cancer GREAT NEWS ~ There are ways to share with your family, friends and health care team […]

Recent Posts

Say Her Name ~ Even though she’s dead, she lives on in me…..

Say Her Name ~ Even though she’s dead, she lives on in me…..

“I saw the article in the newspaper last year about your daughter, Lauren, dying”, she said.  “Oh, my friend, I finally get a chance to hug you!!!”  …The flood gates [...]

More Info
Words Matter ~ Conversations About Living and Dying

Words Matter ~ Conversations About Living and Dying

“He died”, “he passed away”, or “he left me.”   “Giving up” or “after evaluating her options, she made a different choice for her [...]

More Info
Growing in a Garden

Growing in a Garden

GROWING IN A GARDEN “By God, you’re tall!  Did they grow you in a garden?” These were the words of my new dance mate on the cruise ship this week, […]

More Info
How to Help a Grieving Parent

How to Help a Grieving Parent

Want to know how to help a grieving parent?  How to talk to a grieving parent? Browsing the book of faces this evening, I didn’t expect to be walloped.  AGAIN.  […]

More Info
Powered by WordPress | theme SG Window