A doctor examines a patient in an exam room

Why You Need a Second Opinion

If you have been diagnosed with a head or neck tumor, you need a second opinion. We will ensure you get it without delay.

Worth the trip

Many of our patients travel to receive cancer care at Roswell Park. If you live far from Roswell Park, we will make your visit with us worth every mile, assisting with accommodations, streamlining testing and arranging for a virtual consultation.

We can arrange to obtain your scans, have Roswell Park’s head and neck experts review your imaging right away, and set up a consultation with our team. If you live far from Roswell Park, New York State residents may arrange for a consultation via telemedicine. Call 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) or click the button below to submit a request online.

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A second opinion can be both helpful and reassuring, and it’s the best way to ensure that your initial diagnosis is accurate, that the recommended treatment strategy is right for you, and that the surgical team and other specialists have the training and experience to provide you the best possible outcome.

Why it matters for head and neck cancers

A game changer

At Roswell Park, our pathologists review the pathology slides and testing of every new patient. In about 11 to 18% of these secondary reviews, the diagnosis is changed, impacting your treatment options and your way forward.

Head and neck cancers are very complex and can impact your life — how you breathe, eat and speak — in profound ways.  

  • You have only one chance at a first treatment. The single most important factor in determining your prognosis is the success of your very first treatment — typically surgery.
  • Your tumor may be operable after all. Patients have come to Roswell Park from other centers after being told their tumors were inoperable, but our physicians found ways to make surgery not only possible but successful. Our specialists from Head & Neck, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Neurosurgery, Radiation Medicine, Medical Oncology and Neuroradiology all work together to find solutions to even the most difficult challenges of treating this disease.
  • Restoration of function and appearance, especially of the face, is important and necessary. At Roswell Park, your cancer treatment will be planned and coordinated with our plastic and reconstructive and surgeons to optimize the final result.

How do I start?

Call 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) to speak with one of our cancer information specialists who will connect you with your next steps. Or, fill out our online form and we’ll get back to you within two business days.

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