Second opinions are not associated with changes in treatment choice or improvements in perceived quality of prostate cancer care.

‘Second opinions are not associated with changes in treatment choice or improvements in perceived quality of prostate cancer care.’

However, the study did not find
that second opinions affected treatment among low-risk men - the most
likely candidates for active surveillance - casting doubt on whether
second opinions are sufficient to reduce overtreatment among this group.





Archana Radhakrishnan of Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, and her colleagues sought to assess the frequency of and reasons for second opinions for localized prostate cancer, and the characteristics of those who seek them. They also evaluated whether second opinions are associated with certain treatment choices or perceived quality of prostate cancer care.
The investigators surveyed men as part of the Philadelphia Area Prostate Cancer Access Study (P2 Access). A total of 2386 men who were newly diagnosed with localized prostate cancer in the greater Philadelphia area between 2012 and 2014 responded.
40% of men obtained second opinions, commonly because they wanted more information about their cancer (50.8%) and wanted to be seen by the best doctor (46.3%). Overall, obtaining second opinions was not linked with receiving definitive treatment or with perceived quality of cancer care.
Men who sought second opinions because they were dissatisfied with their initial urologist were 51% less likely to receive definitive treatment, and men who wanted more information about treatment were 30% less likely to report excellent quality of cancer care compared with men who did not receive a second opinion.
Advertisements
"Patients often report getting second opinions for prostate cancer. Their impact on care that patients receive remains uncertain," said Dr. Radhakrishnan.
Advertisements