Obtaining Second Opinion Delays Treatment for Breast Cancer, but Not Appreciably
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, May 6, 2025 -- For patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer, obtaining a second opinion is associated with increased overall time from diagnosis to treatment; however, time to treatment still falls well within the guidelines, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Breast Surgeons, held from April 30 to May 4 in Las Vegas.
Pooja Varman, M.D., from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, and colleagues compared time to first treatment between patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer who seek a second opinion (external) and those diagnosed within the same institution (internal) in a retrospective cohort study. Participants with new stage 0 to III breast cancer diagnosed externally and internally (113 in each group) and treated at a single cancer center between January and July 2024 were included.
The researchers found that the median time from biopsy to first treatment was 35 days, with a significant difference between external and internal patients (41.5 versus 31 days). The median time from first surgical oncology clinic appointment at the study institution to first treatment (TCT) was 21 days, with no significant difference between external and internal patients (20 and 21 days, respectively). Compared with internal patients, external patients required additional imaging and biopsies significantly more frequently (90.3 versus 68.1 percent). There was a correlation between the need for additional workup and increased median TCT. A correlation was also seen for the need for a plastic surgeon consultation with increased median TCT.
"Cleveland Clinic internal patients had an even shorter time to treatment, but external patients' average time to treatment was still well within guidelines," Varman said in a statement.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted May 2025
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