Tuesday, May 25, 2010

What does it mean when a doctor asks for a second opinion on a diagnosis?

for a prothratic tumor
Answer:
A prostate tumor? Prostate enlargement can be benign (as in Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy) or can be caused by cancer. The doctor may not feel he/she is qualified to diagnose the condition (i.e., a general practitioner may refer you to a urologist). Usually a TURP (transurethral resection of the prostate) is done and a biopsy will determine if the enlargement is benign and, if there is a tumor, if it is cancerous. Bottom line? The doctor may not be qualified to diagnose a condition beyond his/her specialty and is wisely referring you to someone he/she feels can help.
wants to confirm his diagnosis on a fairly rarely seen occurrance. He doesnt want to dork it up.
That the problem is too complex to resolve it by himself and needs to be managed by another specialty for some issues caused by the tumor itself. An urologist can describe the state the tumor has and help with some bothers due to it, a surgeon can operate it, an oncologist can design a chemotherapy if it is necessary or if radiotherapy is chosen, a radiologist would administer it.
sometimes they suggest the patient get a 2nd opinion to make sure the diagnosis is correct, or sometimes the patient wants a 2nd opinion if it's something life-threatening or an expensive procedure needs to be done to correct the problem.
This is a good thing. Well, sort of. It is good that your doc realizes he may not be sure and he needs help. This doesnt mean he is a bad doc or doesnt know what he is doing. He just wants to make sure he has it right and is doing the best thing for you. I would rather my doc ask the opinion of another doc any day than guessing and making a mistake
hes saying "I don't know everything' 2nd opinion good call
Most probably it means that the testing/imaging for diagnosis isn't 100% conclusive. The doctor is looking for "another set of eyes" that is trained and experienced to read these results. It may also be that this particular doctor is seeking the advice of someone more specialized in the specific condition.If it were me, I would consider it a positive thing, indicating that my doctor is concerned about my health and going "the extra mile" to make sure the diagnosis is correct, without making a flippant or cavalier diagnosis.

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