Should I get a second opinion after prostate cancer diagnosis?

Getting a second opinion is very common and often recommended after a prostate cancer diagnosis, as it can provide valuable peace of mind and help confirm the best treatment approach for your specific situation. Many patients find it helpful to gather different perspectives from oncology specialists, and most doctors encourage this practice as part of making informed decisions about your care.

Clifton: It’s not as common as it should be. And by all means you should do 2nd and 3rd and even 4th opinions—especially in regard to your treatment options. If your doctor presses you for any decision—as he/she almost certainly will—MAKE ‘EM WAIT! There’s no rush to act; a few weeks or even a few months of delay till treatment won’t make a measurable difference in your outcome. As to who provides 2nd opinions, find someone totally unrelated to your 1st opinion. Don’t hesitate to go to someone in non-conventional or minimally invasive or concierge medicine. Also be greatly attuned to doctors recommending overtreatment (which I now know is what I had). Go online and read about the major characteristics of the specific cancer you have in professional medical peer-reviewed journals and in the professional urological and oncological press. That’s the only source where you’ll find frank discussion of all the downsides of different treatment modalities. No one on your care team will tell you about all of these downsides, for fear you’ll choose watchful waiting over immediate ($$$ profitable) highly invasive procedures.