[National second opinion network for testicular cancer patients - transferring guidelines into practice!]

Abstract

The second opinion network for testicular cancer is an internet-based platform addressed to physicians treating testicular cancer patients. They are offered a second opinion before determining further therapy after orchiectomy and completion of staging procedures. The platform has been used in more than 3,000 cases of testicular cancer to date. The rate of discrepancies between first and second opinions is higher than 30%. This suggests a deficit in the implementation of published therapy guidelines. According to our present interim analysis, the second opinion platform helps in avoiding overtreatment of testicular cancer. The high acceptance of the project and the encouraging results of this interim analysis open the door for expansion of the second opinion model to other diseases, e. g., penile carcinoma.