Second Opinion

A second opinion by a world leader in ALK-positive lung cancer, For ALK Positive Members

”I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Camidge. I found him to be warm and extremely knowledgeable . . . . It was a huge relief to know that I was on the right track and to have a plan B in place.”  T.C.

History

This program was conceived of by a generous ALK Positive member, Jim Peard. The ALK Positive Medical Committee established this program to help those who need a second opinion from an ALK-positive lung cancer expert, but do not have the financial resources to obtain that opinion.

The Second Opinion Program will pay the doctor directly and there will be no payment made directly to the patient. The patient will not need to make any payment for the second opinion.

This program is offered to our members only. Request to join the Support Group here.

Supported in part by:

Participating Doctors:

All these doctors are recognized as amongst the world’s foremost ALK-positive lung cancer experts.

Dr. Todd Bauer, Sarah Cannon Research Institute at Tennessee Oncology, Nashville, Tennessee

Dr. Collin Blakely, UCSF, San Francisco, California

Dr. Ross Camidge, UC Health, Denver, Colorado

Dr. Erin Schenk, UC Health, Denver, Colorado

Dr. Shirish Gadgeel, Henry Ford Cancer Institute/Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan

Dr. Vincent Lam, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, Maryland

Dr. Jessica Lin and team, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, Massachusetts

Dr. Christine Lovly, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee

Dr. Ignatius Ou, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, California

Dr. Tejas Patil, UCHealth, Denver, Colorado

Remote Consults

Remote consults mean that the patient sends in their records and the doctor will communicate with the patient long distance or remotely, by phone or video chat. This is particularly useful if a patient is not well enough to travel, unable to pay for accommodations, or to take time off.

IMPORTANT NOTE: We advise patients to verify for themselves at time of scheduling whether a REMOTE consult can be done at the treating institution, as the situation is constantly changing.

Costs

ALK Positive Second Opinion Program will pay the doctor directly. The patient will not have to pay for any of the consult fee. The patient will be responsible for any required additional tests such as scans, blood draws and so on, as well as all incidental costs outside of the doctor’s office such as travel, accommodation, meals, etc.

This program has limited funds. Please do NOT apply if you can afford to acquire second opinion by yourself. Things you can do to fund your own second opinion:

• If you have insurance, send a claim for the medical costs. You may want to call beforehand to check your coverage.

• Fundraising for yourself through an online program such as GoFundMe or a local community fundraiser.

• If the insurance or hospital sends you a check afterwards, please consider making a donation to this program .

Patient Testimonials

“We felt we could benefit from a remote consult. This wasn’t an expense our family could afford, so I applied for the Second Opinion Program. The process was simple, and we were so grateful when I received an email that mom was approved- only 12 hours after my request was submitted . . . .

Dr. Ross Camidge was so friendly, patient, and he even offered to let our current local oncologist know his thoughts and recommendations. . . . I highly recommend the program to anyone recently diagnosed ALK-positive and even to those already being treated. We had a great oncologist- very familiar with ALK-positive, but we benefited so much from our second opinion.”

“I traveled to Dr. Collin Blakely. It was a very positive meeting and he confirmed Lorlatinib is the best choice for me. . . . I recommend him if you are seeking a 2nd opinion. He clearly knows ALK through his research and has a calm and reassuring manner. I can see Dr. Blakely again, if needed and he also invited me to email questions or send copies of my scans to him in the future. . . . I am very grateful for our 2nd Opinion Program. I would be lost without this group and the synergy created with all of your knowledge and experience.” S.T.

Applications

We will make every effort to respond to applicants within 48 hours. We will notify you whether or not you are approved once the Second Opinion Program Review Panel has reviewed your application.

Please click the button below to apply

or copy and paste the following and ask for an application form for the Second Opinion Program: Stephanie Kratochwill, Manager, Second Opinion Program: stephanie.kratochwill@alkpositive.org