FindCancerExperts provides its referral services free of charge. By email, you will receive the names and contact information for nationally recognized pathology experts, detailed and easy-to-follow instructions and sample release forms that authorize the mailing of your pathology material. If you mail microscopic slides and request that they be reviewed, the expert pathologists will bill you for their professional consultation-- usually from $150 to $300. In some situations, if additional tests are required to reach an accurate diagnosis, the cost may be increased. This is standard practice for such medical consultations and the pathologist will send you a bill directly. Many insurance companies and HMO's offer partial or complete reimbursement for such second opinions.

There is no financial relationship between FindCancerExperts and the pathology consultants that we use. We receive no payment of any kind from our pathology consultants. They are invited to participate in this service purely on the basis of professional merit.

The site is privately funded by the founder and medical directors. In order to provide users with independent, objective and unbiased information, the medical directors do not sell medical- or health-related advertising or accept other forms of financial investment from medical corporations (i.e. pharmaceutical or medical supply companies). We receive no financial support from individual hospitals, medical institutions or pathology departments. Furthermore, the consultants are not charged a fee to be listed on this site, nor can they offer a payment to be selectively listed. Finally, we receive no portion of the consultant's professional fee. All of our expert pathologists are chosen exclusively on the basis of merit, professional reputation, and expertise.

Yes. As part of the second opinion process in pathology it is necessary that the microscopic glass slides, pathology reports, and possibly paraffin (wax) blocks be sent to the consultant of your choice. These materials are archived in the pathology department of the hospital or commercial laboratory where the biopsy was originally processed and interpreted. All patients have the right to request that this material be released for the purpose of obtaining a second opinion. On occasion, your doctor may be able to expedite this process. However, the department of pathology may ask that you sign a release form. If you choose to use our services, you will receive a sample release form from us. When sending your pathology slides-- for purposes of both speed and tracking—we strongly recommend that you use one of the overnight express mail services.

Probably. However, all necessary forms and instructions are available on our site. But we do not provide insurance paperwork. For this, you should contact your insurance carrier. When you submit the "Get Second Opinion Now" form, you will receive the following items from us by email:

• Name and address of up to three pathology experts—so you can have the microscopic slides from your biopsy express-mailed to a consultant who specializes in diagnosing your cancer type (breast, prostate, colon, etc.).
• Detailed and easy-to-follow instructions on how to request a second opinion in pathology and tips on how to expedite the process.
• Release form—this should be sent to the Department of Pathology at the hospital or commercial laboratory that has your biopsy slides. This release form provides your signed permission for the slides (and paraffin blocks, if necessary) to be sent to a consultant pathologist.

This depends on the individual consultant but, in general, final reports are usually returned within 3-7 days. In complicated cases that require additional tests, the time can be extended several days. Our experts are used to high volume consultations and have the infrastructure in place to insure a rapid turn-around time for their patients.

No. Distance does not matter when obtaining a second opinion for a pathology diagnosis. The reason is quite simple: the consultant does not have to see the patient—only the microscopic (glass) slides. The only things that must travel are the glass slides and possibly paraffin (wax) blocks (containing biopsy samples). This material should be sent by an express mail service. This is commonly done today and slides are routinely sent between cities or even internationally for pathology second opinions.

Each expert must satisfy all of the criteria on the checklist-- outstanding professional reputation among pathology colleagues, extensive publication in their field of expertise, staff position at a university or teaching hospital, editorial board appointments to major medical journals, and lecturing positions at major medical conferences. To the best of our knowledge, no other pathology web site can assure its users that all of their recommended experts meet these criteria for excellence.

If chemotherapy and/or irradiation treatments are still in progress, a second opinion consultation that results in a major change of diagnosis may have a significant impact on the type or continuation of this therapy. Of course, such situations must be discussed in detail with your doctor before changing treatment.