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An accurate and comprehensive pathology diagnosis is fundamental to effective treatment. Obtaining a second opinion is useful for confirming and/or providing additional information regarding a primary diagnosis, and in some instances, offering a more accurate diagnosis of a patient’s condition. Pathologists generate an important part of the information used for therapeutic decisions, hence it is vital to have confidence in the pathologic diagnosis.
In a Johns Hopkins study of second opinions on pathology, 20 cases originally diagnosed as malignant were found to be benign, and 5 cases originally thought to be benign were found to be malignant. Overall, the treatment plan was revised in 93% of cases.1
The pathologists in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center are board-certified and widely considered expert in their subspecialty, both nationally and internationally. Additionally, all Weill Cornell pathologists participate in an intradepartmental peer-review quality assurance program.
Please visit Frequently Asked Questions to learn more. To request a second opinion, visit Our Expert Services.
Helpful references:
- Reliability of skin biopsy pathology.
- Reducing false-negative and false-positive diagnoses in anatomic pathology consultation material.
- Validating whole slide imaging for diagnostic purposes in pathology: guideline from the College of American Pathologists Pathology and Laboratory Quality Center.
- Multi-institutional comparison of whole slide digital imaging and optical microscopy for interpretation of hematoxylin-eosin-stained breast tissue sections.
