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Good Question: When Should You Get A Second Opinion?

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - Actress Rita Wilson revealed to People Magazine she was diagnosed with breast cancer, but she said her first doctor didn't catch it. She went to another doctor after feeling something wasn't quite right. It was that second doctor, and then later a third, who caught the cancer early. Now, she's encouraging others to ask for second opinions.

So, when should you get a second opinion? Good Question.

"I think when you have a life-threatening disease, I see no reason, if you have the time, [not] to get a second opinion," said Dr. Todd Tuttle, a surgical oncologist with the University of Minnesota. "Rita Wilson obviously has a potentially life-threatening disease, and that made a lot of sense."

A Gallup study found 70 percent of people don't do extra medical research or get second opinions.

Doctors say second opinions are quite valuable, especially if the case is not clear-cut. Diagnoses ranging from cancer to arthritis to long-term medications could be good candidates for someone else to take a look.

"Even among experts, there are certain things that they may not agree on," Dr. Elisa Port, director of the Dubin Center at Mount Sinai Hospital, told CBS This Morning.

Tuttle said he'd be likely to get a second opinion on a procedure like a knee surgery as well. He said he's not offended when patients tell him they'd like a second opinion. In fact, he often recommends other doctors in the field.

"I encourage second opinions," he said. "I think it gives patients the opportunity to ask more questions, to understand what my recommendations are, and it gives them time to think about what treatment options might be best for them."

In most cases, health insurance covers the cost of a second opinion. For some surgeries, it's required.

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