Second opinion - Oncologist - how to arrange/navigate
Wondering how I would go about obtaining a 2nd opinion from another oncologist? I have been trying to contact my breast care nurse but they are swamped at the moment :-(
You may see from my previous posts that I have anxiety now as I learn more & more about lobular breast cancer, and am concerned I may not have been taken 'seriously' enough.
My oncologist did not offer the oncotype test to me, although I did ask about it and he shrugged it off as not needed. I have also not been offered genetic testing, and although breast cancer is not in my immediate family, my brothers had bowel and liver cancer, both at young ages. Not sure if related, but again, I'd like to ask/check.
My oncologist originally did not recommend I even take tamoxifen (although I am strongly oestrogen positive). My radiation oncologist discussed with him and I am now taking it. So I am having a lot of anxiety and doubt, my tumour was small 8mm and not in lymph nodes, however it was still cancer, and I don't want to regret missing steps that I should have done in years to come. You can't muck around with this stuff.
So, to get a 2nd opinion from another oncologist, how do you go about it? A referral from my GP? Do you think it might be too late to discuss now? My surgery was in October, and my radiation finished in December last year 2022.
You may see from my previous posts that I have anxiety now as I learn more & more about lobular breast cancer, and am concerned I may not have been taken 'seriously' enough.
My oncologist did not offer the oncotype test to me, although I did ask about it and he shrugged it off as not needed. I have also not been offered genetic testing, and although breast cancer is not in my immediate family, my brothers had bowel and liver cancer, both at young ages. Not sure if related, but again, I'd like to ask/check.
My oncologist originally did not recommend I even take tamoxifen (although I am strongly oestrogen positive). My radiation oncologist discussed with him and I am now taking it. So I am having a lot of anxiety and doubt, my tumour was small 8mm and not in lymph nodes, however it was still cancer, and I don't want to regret missing steps that I should have done in years to come. You can't muck around with this stuff.
So, to get a 2nd opinion from another oncologist, how do you go about it? A referral from my GP? Do you think it might be too late to discuss now? My surgery was in October, and my radiation finished in December last year 2022.
