What is a second opinion in prostate cancer?
A second opinion means letting an independent method analyse your biopsy. Read what it involves and why it may be decisive for your decision.
Free digital meeting. You decide whether to go ahead.
Do I really need surgery?
As a patient you may face a difficult decision, without having a certain answer.
- Do I really need surgery? Is the cancer so aggressive that I have to risk impotence and incontinence? 20% of those who are operated on today are operated on unnecessarily, "just to be on the safe side…"
- Or the other way round. The doctor says we can wait, based on the analysis. Is it certain that my cancer is not aggressive?
What you need is a more reliable basis for the decision. That is what we can offer you.
What does a second opinion involve?
A second opinion means that you let an independent body carry out a new analysis of your tissue samples, outside the hospital or clinic that made your original diagnosis. In prostate cancer it is not about questioning your urologist, but about complementing the basis for the decision with a more precise and objective method of analysis.
A traditional second opinion means that another pathologist reviews the same tissue samples, but it is still a subjective assessment, and two pathologists can arrive at different answers Limitations of the Gleason method. Spearpoint's second opinion is instead built on PCAI (Prostate Cancer Aggressiveness Index): an AI model that compares your biopsies with outcome data from 17,700 patients followed for up to 20 years How PCAI works. The result is a reproducible index of 1–100, divided into 7 clear risk levels. The same biopsy always gives the same answer.
1–100
reproducible index across seven risk levels
No new samples
the analysis uses the biopsies that have already been taken
When can it be decisive?
A second opinion can be particularly valuable:
- for you who have been given an ISUP 2 diagnosis and are unsure whether surgery is the right step
- for you who have been recommended active surveillance but want to know whether it really is safe to wait Surveillance vs. surgery
- for you who want a more reliable basis before making a life-defining decision
- for you who feel uncertain about the original analysis
This is how it works, step by step How does it work?.
It is wise to ask around
You are welcome to contact us to discuss a second opinion. The meeting is free of charge. If you feel afterwards that this is right for you, you can simply order a second opinion.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a second opinion without my urologist's knowledge?
Yes. You have the right to obtain supplementary information for your own sake. Spearpoint is happy to contact your urologist if you want us to, but it is your choice.
Is it legal and approved from a regulatory point of view?
Yes. Spearpoint offers the PCAI analysis as a second opinion directly to you as a patient. This means that you are the purchaser of the service, and that the clinic bears no regulatory responsibility. PCAI is going through the IVDR approval process. Once it is complete, the method can be integrated directly at laboratories Implementation.
Do I need to provide new tissue samples?
No. The analysis is carried out on the biopsies already taken during your diagnostic work-up Making a diagnosis. We obtain the digitised samples; you only need to give your consent.
How long does it take?
Normally 2–4 weeks from order to written report, depending on how quickly the biopsy images arrive from your laboratory.
More questions are answered in our frequently asked questions Common questions.
Related: How does it work? | Limitations of the Gleason method | PCAI vs. Gleason