How and why should I obtain a second opinion?

[Music] how and why should I obtain a second opinion personally I think you should get a second opinion as soon as possible and you might find that a third opinion and a fourth opinion would benefit you down the road most doctors I know local oncologists really appreciate an educated patient and may very well help you find a specialist in your area but if for whatever reason your doctor seems offended I honestly wouldn't hesitate to change doctors I think it's awfully important from your standpoint the patient to do whatever is best for you and and have your local oncologist support you in that so one extra complication in multiple myeloma is that the doctors don't always agree and this is even than myeloma experts don't always agree there are different philosophies of treatment some favor less aggressive treatment some favor more aggressive treatment some favor just different types of therapies that are being used in the clinic some of it is the research that they've done in the experience that they have with those so what we suggest is that patients potentially get second or third opinions even when they're trying to make treatment decisions and as you get more educated on different ways of seeing treatment options you'll be able to ask better questions sometimes if they don't agree sometimes it's a matter of going to these second or third opinions and then making a decision based on your personal needs so sometimes somebody might want an all oral therapy and that may be really important because you live really far from the clinic and getting infusions are really tough or it might mean that your you're younger and you want a more aggressive therapy because you want longer you want to shoot for a longer admission point and so that some of these are personal goals and just what you want out of your therapy - in terms of your goals with having myeloma you put three myeloma experts in a room and ask them and give them the same information on pacing patient all three of which will provide you with the different treatment strategy but I think the important thing is is that these myeloma specialists are so skilled and so up-to-date on the newest and best treatments and what I mean by that is that in the last four years we've had six new drugs which is phenomenal and as a result there are so many options available to them that that they can come up with a different strategy or a different treatment philosophy all of which will result in improved survival and what I mean by that is that you know as myeloma specialists often will give you something on the order of ten to twelve years of average survival where being normal seer data shows only five or six so it's very very important that it be a myeloma specialist and that they do all the right things that you want and one of which is you've got to decide on your own ones you know what are your objectives if you're older maybe you don't want a stem cell transplant if you're younger maybe you would like to go for something very very aggressive and try to cure so all these things are are important and and what you'll find is that myeloma specialists can provide you at least with a plan that provides me the best opportunity for improved life expectancy it's what's best that fits your needs and so you know you have to make that decision yourself with your doctor obviously if you in fact have a doctor who might be a myeloma specialist he just is doesn't listen to you doesn't believe in your objectives you know if he wants to do something that you don't necessarily want to do and you don't want to I mean those are the things that you know they have to you know be a sensitive to so if you are uncomfortable with your doctor don't continue to be uncomfortable with your doctor because I'll tell you there are some that just have an unbelievably great rapport with their patients they are not only the best doctors for myeloma in the world they're just outstanding human beings this is a tough slide but I have to throw it in it's okay to change your doctor it's absolutely okay for certain reasons you are that you are the one who has the final decision not your doctor you have veto power it's your life it's your cancer you make the decision your doctor is your adviser is your helper is your educator that you make the decision if your doctors not willing to give you veto power if he says this is what you will do I wouldn't like that doctor if your doctor's unwilling to communicate with or take directions from other myeloma doctors myeloma specialists if your doctors unwilling to let you go get second opinions I always said as a physician that if I didn't let my patients get second opinions it would mean that I had something to hide some doctor was gonna find out that I wasn't really doing the right thing I encouraged second opinions change doctors if your doctor is unwilling to listen to you if he really doesn't she doesn't listen if your doctors not willing to be educated with information from important groups and studies those are all reasons to consider getting another doctor changing doctors may be getting another opinion do not change your doctor just because you're miserable here in different stages your treatment journey if you don't feel good it's not your doctor's fault tell him or her maybe they can use things to help you but that's not a reason to change doctors to get a second opinion find a specialist on health tree that is near you or that has research interests that are aligned with your situation and contact them and if you need help email us at the myeloma crowd at info at crowd care org so we can help you find our Alamo specialists [Music]