Why second opinion is important in cancer treatment

New Delhi: Cancer is the second most common cause of death after heart failure across the world. Despite rapid medical advancements and the treatment options available today, cancer remains a major threat to our society. The occurrence of cancer in India is estimated to be around 2.5 million, with about 1.25 million new cases being registered every year and approximately 800,000 deaths related to the illness.

The second opinion is the practice of a patient seeking an alternate evaluation of his or her diagnosis and course of treatment by another, or a few other specialist doctors to confirm the diagnosis and validate their treatment.

Studies have shown that up to 30 per cent of patients who have sought a second opinion have found that their initial treatment advice did not match with the alternate advice, and in most cases, the latter proved more beneficial. Although taking second opinions is not a new concept, as a medical service it has been gaining popularity in recent times. It is quite common for patients to seek second opinions, especially for life-threatening illnesses like cancer, says Dr Sajjan Rajpurohit canceronco.com.