thesecondopinion

Thesecondopinion offers free second opinion consultations to cancer patients using a unique panel format in which doctors, patients and their family members all participate. We help cancer patients with limited financial resources overcome what are frequent barriers to obtaining access to medical resources and education about their disease, in their language and at their level of understanding.

Three second opinion review panels meet on Fridays from 11:00 to 3:00. Each virtual review panel serves three patients and family members – each patient is scheduled separately and receives an individual Zoom invitation. Patients, and their family members who attend the virtual review panel, receive input from a radiologist, pathologist, radiation oncologist, medical oncologists and surgical sub-specialists, as needed. Telephone Assists are for patients that cannot wait for a formal review panel, because time is of the essence, or those whose medical records clearly indicate that appearing before a Review Panel would not be beneficial because their questions are few and obvious in nature.

HISTORY: The Organization was founded in 1969, by a group of Bay Area physicians, at a time when cancer centers and tumor boards were nonexistent.  These physicians volunteered their cancer expertise to help cancer patients (and their primary physician) understand their cancer diagnosis and what treatment options were available. Today we continue their mission by providing free, comprehensive second opinions to adults in California diagnosed with cancer. 

The heart of our program relies on the volunteer efforts of over sixty board-certified physicians from multiple cancer-related specialties. Their diverse experiences in cancer diagnosis and treatment allow us to provide a patient-centered and compassionate service not duplicated by any other nonprofit agency in California. The volunteer physicians know from years of experience, that if a patient has a better understanding of their disease, treatment options and the potential outcomes of those treatment options, they will have more confidence and less anxiety in moving forward in their care.  

It is important to note that thesecondopinion does not diagnose or treat cancer patients and is independent of any medical institution.  Cancer patients come to thesecondopinion at various stages of their cancer treatment.  Some are newly diagnosed and need a better understanding of the extent of their disease and the benefit of their treatment options – we can do that for them.  Some do not want to do treatment at all – that is where we can be of the most benefit by helping them understand the benefits of treatment. Some are discouraged by the results of their treatments and need to know and confirm they are getting the best possible care – and learn about new treatments or clinical trials.  Some have finished treatment and are scared that the cancer will return, so they come asking if they have done all they could do to prevent a recurrence.  Some have been told there are no more treatment options available to them – we can give them compassion and sometimes hope.

Looking forward - Charting the future of our organization, our key initiatives include:

• Build Capacity- Assess capacity and identify gaps, creating a stronger organization with enhanced resources to better serve the cancer community.

• Create Awareness - Increase visibility of the organization to broaden our reach to new cancer patients, volunteers, and donors.

• Expand Our Reach - Partner with cancer support organizations to expand our reach to rural and low-income communities.