Getting a Second Opinion: Better Safe than Sorry
By Ted Sherwood
Getting a second opinion may take extra time and money but consider the greater benefit – without it, you may pay with your life!
A member of my family was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent a needle biopsy and then met with her surgeon. This surgeon, a specialist in breast cancer, recommended a lumpectomy, or removal of the affected tissue. The surgeon also suggested that a dye should be injected into the patient’s lymph nodes during the surgery. If the first lymph nodes appeared “hot” or indicative of cancer, then all of her lymph nodes in the area would be removed while she was still on the operating table. The lymph nodes would be tested for cancer to see if the cancer had spread. Unfortunately, the pathologist reported that at least one lymph node was positive for cancer and thus the surgeon removed all of the lymph nodes under one armpit.
At the next meeting, the surgeon discussed the pathology report. The findings showed there was no cancer in the breast tissue that had been removed, but several of the lymph nodes were cancerous. This made no sense to us, and the surgeon’s explanation was unhelpful. “Perhaps they got all of the cancerous tissue when they did the biopsy,” noted the surgeon. We also questioned the oncologist, who dismissed our concerns as unnecessary.
Knowing whether the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes was critical, because if the lymph nodes were not cancerous then chemotherapy – always unpleasant and especially risky with older persons – could be avoided. My family was not satisfied with the surgeon’s explanation so we sought a second opinion from another pathologist.
The end result was that the first pathologist’s diagnosis was backwards! There was cancer in the breast tissue removed by the surgeon, but the cancer had not spread to the lymph nodes. Chemotherapy was avoided, perhaps a life was saved.
As consumers, we place a lot of faith in our healthcare providers. We often take for granted that tests are preformed properly and that the results are accurate and carefully interpreted.
In a recent article in the Los Angeles Times entitled “Lab Mistakes Threaten Credibility, Spur Lawsuits,” a reporter told the story of a 47-year-old woman whose breast biopsy revealed invasive cancer. She underwent a mastectomy followed by two months of radiation – but there was a mistake. The hospital lab had switched biopsy specimens with another patient. The woman did not have cancer. The article goes on to report similar problems that have occurred in major hospitals nationwide. According to a study by the Harvard School of Public Health, hospital-related errors in treatment kill an estimated 180,000 Americans each year.
What can you do to protect yourself and your family from a hospital lab mistake?
- When in doubt, get a second opinion. If it doesn’t sound right, it probably isn’t.
- When the lab test involves examination of tissue and the treatment hinges on a correct interpretation of the results, get a second interpretation.
- Make sure the lab has tested your tissue, not someone else’s tissue.
- Make sure your doctor explains the results fully. If you are not satisfied, ask your doctor to talk with the doctor that interpreted the test results.
- Consider repeating the lab results to confirm the first interpretation.
Want to read more about it? Here are few helpful books you can find at a discount on Amazon.com:
- “Hospital Survival Guide,” by Dr. David Sherer
- “How to Get Out of the Hospital Alive,” by Dr. Sheldon P. Blau
- “Protect Yourself in the Hospital,” by Thomas A. Sharon, R.N.
Note: Los Angeles Times, “Lab Mistakes Threaten Credibility, Spur Lawsuits,” by Walter F. Roche Jr., December 2, 2005.
