Second Opinion CLL

[barger1951]

Just a side note to all my Unlocked friends. My first Oncologist tested me (bone Marrow sample and blood test) and told me I had stage 2 lymphoma. This was a fairly well respected doctor and I had no reason to doubt her. My wife kept pestering me to get a second opinion which I finally gave into and went to Stanford. That oncologist told me I had stage O-1 CLL not lymphoma. 10 years later i choose to believe the second diagnosis was correct. Moral of the story, no matter how much you might like your doctor always get a second opinion .

[Spacee]

Could advice from your wife. So glad you listened to her!! Yes, I choose to go with the 2nd one too!

Linda

[Cllcanada Top Poster CURE Hero]

I agree, good to get a second opinion before treatment.. I'm on my 5th or 6th...

In defence of the first oncologists, CLL is classified as a subtype of Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma, by both the WHO cancer classification and the European REAL...

So, in fact it is a lymphoma.. it just looks like a leukemia in CLL, but much more lymphoma like in SLL. location, location, location.

~chris

[cllady01 Former Volunteer]

Amen and amen!

[annmcgowan]

I agree I did exactly the same when treatment was suggested.

Ann

[cook4650]

Absolutely. How lucky are you to have one of those (myself included!) "pestering" wives who have saved our husbands' lives time after time! I'd be interested to hear what the first doc said about the diagnosis you got from the second doc. I'm guessing it was less a case of the first doc's ineptitude than really a case of inexperience and lack of more sophisticated diagnostic tools in his toolkit. A CLL expert who looks at test results is bound to see things differently than a plain vanilla oncologist.

[barger1951]

First doc was a little surprised, she had a large successful practice and all the tools....but a different interpretation of the results, sometimes it just a matter of degrees. My CLL doctor explained to me the similarities between CLL and Lymphoma so I can see how she might have missed it. Besides my wife, a medical intuitive told me I did not have lymphoma, this was before my second opinion. I'm blessed with having all these gifts show up at key juntures in my life.

[curlscurls in reply to barger1951]

I have the opposite situation. First doctor is a Hemo-onc and did a fellowship at NIH, those results said MBL-level of CLL phenotype or in that family. No mention of large white cells. The second from an NIH certified cancer center hospital, reported those along with the original monoclonal set.

I do have swelling in my belly and I believe the CT of massive spleen.

Reading this though gives me more pause on whether there should be 3rd opinions or what to think. If it's as aggressive a lymphoma as it appears, I'm not going to want to dally to getting treatment.

[Hoffy]

Great advice. Anyone who has cancer should always get a 2nd opinion before treatment.

Also the regional cancer centers have access to clinical trials and treatments years ahead of the for profit clinics...

Be well,

Hoffy