Should You Get a Second Opinion? A Surgeon Says Yes

I will be honest with you about something doctors rarely admit. When a patient asks me how many times I have done an operation, a very small part of me bristles, because I approach every procedure with deep confidence in my hands. And yet I have always answered the question honestly, because it is a completely reasonable thing to ask. When my own cancer was diagnosed, I did exactly what I am about to tell you to do. I sought multiple opinions. Here is why a surgeon is telling you to get a second one.

This is education and encouragement from a physician, not a substitute for your own care team.

Why a Second Opinion Is Not an Insult

Many patients hesitate to seek another opinion because they worry it signals distrust of their doctor. Let me put that worry to rest. As a doctor, I want more than anything to help the patient in front of me, and your doctor almost certainly feels the same. But wanting to help and being infallible are two different things.

I am human. I can make mistakes. And as much as I want every patient to trust me, I want them to have confidence in their treatment even more.

Sometimes that confidence requires talking to another doctor in the same specialty. Asking for a second or even third opinion is not a betrayal. It is good medicine, and a good physician will support it.

Why Prostate Cancer Especially Calls for It

Prostate cancer is unusual. Unlike many cancers with a single clear path, it often offers several treatments considered roughly equal in their effect on survival. That means the "right" answer is genuinely a matter of judgment and personal values, and judgment benefits from more than one perspective.

There are three frontline modalities: surgery, radiation therapy, and hormone therapy. Each is owned by a different specialty. My strongest recommendation is not just to get a second opinion within one specialty, but to hear from all three before you decide.

How I Did It Myself

When my cancer recurred in a few pelvic lymph nodes, I consulted two medical oncologists and three radiation oncologists, five specialists in all. Four recommended two years of hormone therapy plus full pelvic radiation. One radiation oncologist offered a different path: six months of hormone therapy followed by watchful waiting.

That single outlier opinion mattered. I read the literature behind both recommendations, weighed them against my own priorities, and chose the shorter path. My PSA returned to undetectable and has stayed there. Had I stopped at the first opinion, or even the first four, I might never have known the option that turned out to be right for me.

What a Second Opinion Actually Gets You

Seeking another perspective does more than double-check a diagnosis. It can:

• Confirm the diagnosis and grade, giving you confidence the foundation is solid
• Reveal additional treatment options you were not offered the first time
• Clarify whether the options are truly equal for your specific situation
• Surface a less aggressive or less toxic path that still fits your tumor
• Give you peace of mind, which is its own form of medicine during a frightening time

How to Seek One Well

A second opinion is most useful when you approach it thoughtfully:

• Gather your records - pathology report, imaging, PSA history - so each doctor sees the full picture.
• See different specialties, not just another doctor in the same field, especially for prostate cancer.
• Ask each one to explain their reasoning, not just their recommendation. The "why" is where you learn.
• Do your own reading alongside the opinions, so you can ask sharper questions.
• Take the time. In prostate cancer, the weeks spent gathering opinions are almost never dangerous to your outcome.

The Bottom Line From a Surgeon

You will eventually sign forms called Informed Consent, and the word that matters is informed. A second opinion is one of the most powerful ways to earn that word. It is not a sign of doubt in your doctor. It is a sign of seriousness about your own life.

I sought multiple opinions as a surgeon who had spent his career giving them. If it was right for me, it is right for you. Do not fear asking.

References

• Hewitt M, Simone JV, eds. Ensuring Quality Cancer Care. National Academies Press; 1999.
• Mellink WAM, et al. Cancer patients seeking a second surgical opinion. J Clin Oncol. 2003;21(8):1492-1497.
• Philip J, et al. Second opinions in oncology: patient and physician perspectives. Support Care Cancer. 2010;18(9):1199-1205.
• Payne VL, et al. Patient-initiated second opinions: impact on diagnosis and management. Mayo Clin Proc. 2014;89(5):687-696.
• American Cancer Society. Seeking a Second Opinion. 2024.