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Second opinion?


LilyMir

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Hi,

We are thinking to seek a second opinion of the pathology studies of my surgery (it is still not finalized almost 2 week on here in Vancouver). Does anyone know which of the big US cancer centres is best for lung cancer? MD Anderson? Mayo Clinic? Sloan Kettering? Dana Farber?

I am not sure a second opinion will change much but somehow has lost trust in our system when they missed my nodule 4 years ago and feeling a second look is worth investing in. Also, seems here the standard adjuvant chemo is just chemo with no immunotherapy but I read research papers that advocate combining with immunotherapy through trials for some cases.

Thanks!

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Hello and welcome,

Its always a good idea to obtain a second opinion and lung cancer is highly specialized now.  Where to go will largely depend on the results of the comprehensive biomarker testing.  For example: Dana Farber in Boston has an EGFR center of course excellence and the ALK experts are at Colorado University, Vanderbilt or Mass General.  
It’s no longer an automatic trip to MD Anderson or Mayo anymore.  I’d recommend contacting both Lungevity and the Go2Foundation for a list of specialists as finding the right doctor is more important than the cancer center branding.  Don’t be surprised if you’re referred someplace like Ohio state or something unexpected because lung cancer has become a highly specialized field. 

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Hi Lily, as Michelle says, the biomarker testing is important. She has mentioned some great institutions for particular mutations. I'd also like to add that immunotherapy isn't necessarily a correct treatment path for everyone, because some mutations (like EGFR) don't respond to immunotherapy. The biomarker testing can take a few weeks, so right now it's a key missing piece of your diagnostic puzzle. 

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