When first diagnosed with breast cancer, a patient’s instinct is, understandably, to move quickly in accessing care and scheduling treatment. But, according to Ralph Corsetti, MD, FACS, surgical oncologist at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Covington, a new breast cancer diagnosis is not a drop everything emergency in the way many people assume.
“It’s not like getting your appendix out where you’ve got to get it out that day and take whoever is available and on call,” Dr. Corsetti said. ” You have time, so use it to do research and seek a second opinion.”
With more than 25 years of surgical oncology experience, Dr. Corsetti highly encourages patients across the region to get a second opinion when it comes to their options regarding breast cancer treatment.
Breast cancer falls into a category described as sub-acute. Treatment shouldn’t be delayed indefinitely, but a one-to-two-week window to seek a second opinion won’t change a patient’s outcome. It will, however, change the quality of the decisions that are made next.
Dr. Corsetti compares the process to remodeling a home. You get more than one estimate, you ask for references, you look at the work and you make sure the person doing the job is the right person for it.
The same principle applies to cancer surgery, but of course with much higher stakes. A thorough second opinion can provide a patient with a full vision of the road ahead.
A second opinion often involves consultation with a care team. Patients walk through how they presented, what their imaging and biopsy showed, and what their receptor status means for treatment. From there, the conversation turns to the decisions that will shape the rest of their care: whether to start with surgery, chemotherapy, or endocrine therapy; whether a lumpectomy or mastectomy is the better option; what additional therapies may follow surgery; whether genetic testing is warranted; and how reconstruction fits into the plan with a plastic surgeon.
These questions are not only informative, but they make the patient feel empowered and educated about the various options available.
When seeking that second opinion, be sure to ask: are you fellowship-trained?
For Dr. Corsetti, the single most important question a patient can ask in a second-opinion consultation is whether the surgeon is fellowship-trained in breast cancer surgery.
“You don’t just want a general surgeon,” he said. “You want to ensure the surgeon is fellowship-trained.”
Fellowship training is an additional two years of post-residency education focused specifically on cancer surgery. Completing this training signals a surgeon’s dedicated expertise, current knowledge of evolving treatment standards and a practice built around cancer care every day.
In many rural parts of Louisiana, general surgeons often perform breast cancer surgery because specialists aren’t available. Fortunately, this is not the case on the Northshore. Dr. Corsetti and his colleagues at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Covington provide the most patient-focused, innovative and compassionate care anywhere in the region.
Patients from across the Gulf South are welcome to contact Dr. Corsetti and his team. He is licensed in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, which means a second opinion is accessible to patients well beyond the Northshore. In fact, in some cases, a consultation can be conducted via telehealth. A video visit will allow Dr. Corsetti to review the full clinical picture and walk through treatment recommendations before a patient decides whether to come in for a physical examination and meet the multidisciplinary team in coordinated appointments.
“My message is this: please take the time to get a second opinion,” said Dr. Corsetti. “This is so important and well worth the time and research. A second-opinion may be able to provide new options and could completely transform your treatment experience. And make sure that surgeon you talk to is fellowship-trained. When it comes to you and your health, you deserve the very best.”
