MD Anderson second opinion: access, process, and price
Compare medical second-opinion services → MD Anderson
Publisher disclosure: Diagnostic Detectives Network. Its own service appears last in the alternatives section. This guide compares published service structure, access, and price; it does not assess care quality.
Provider facts last verified: 21 September 2026. MD Anderson's published terms can change; confirm current details directly with MD Anderson before submitting records or payment.
MD Anderson Cancer Center's own patient pages state plainly that a remote second opinion is not offered. “We do not offer remote second opinions at this time” appears on its current second-opinion appointments page, so the entire published route is an in-person visit at MD Anderson in Houston. This guide summarizes what MD Anderson does publish about that in-person route, and separately notes a different, mail-in pathology-slide review product that is sometimes confused with a general second opinion. MDA-01
MD Anderson's current second-opinion page states, verbatim: “We do not offer remote second opinions at this time.” Any comparison of MD Anderson against a remote or online second-opinion service should start from that fact.
Can an individual use MD Anderson for a second opinion?
Yes, directly. MD Anderson's patient pages say an individual can request a new-patient appointment for a second opinion without first committing to treatment there: “you don't have to make a commitment to receive treatment through us.” No employer benefit or insurance-plan sponsorship is described as a precondition, though insurance and self-pay financial terms still apply. MDA-01, MDA-02
What does an MD Anderson second opinion cost?
Not published for the general clinical second opinion. Self-pay patients are offered a personalized estimate through MyChart or by calling financial specialists directly; MD Anderson's own language describes this as “an estimate—actual charges may be higher or lower,” with no public dollar figure for the visit itself. A separate, different product — a mail-in physician-to-physician review of pathology slides prepared elsewhere, with no clinical visit — does publish a starting price: a minimum charge of $571 for a consultation and report, plus additional testing fees. That figure applies only to the pathology-slide product, not to a standard clinical second opinion. MDA-03, MDA-04
| Product | What MD Anderson publishes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Standard clinical second opinion (in person) | No published price; personalized estimate via MyChart or financial specialists | mdanderson.org insurance-billing-financial-support |
| Mail-in pathology slide review (no clinical visit) | Minimum charge of $571 for consultation and report, plus extra testing fees | mdanderson.org second-opinion-pathology |
How does the MD Anderson process work?
A patient starts with an online appointment-request form or by calling 1-877-632-6789 (option 2). A Patient Access Representative or Health Information Specialist contacts the patient to collect demographic and medical information; MD Anderson reviews existing records and requests additional records from the patient or prior providers if needed; an in-person appointment is then scheduled. MD Anderson's own language says the first visit “may take several days while tests are completed.” MDA-01, MDA-05
Who reviews the case?
Not published for the standard clinical second opinion. No reviewed page names how a specific physician or specialist is matched to a case, and no page states that a multidisciplinary tumor board reviews every second-opinion case. The only explicit team-review language found applies to the separate pathology-slide product, not the general clinical pathway, so it should not be assumed to apply site-wide. MDA-04
How long does an MD Anderson second opinion take?
Not published as a specific number of days for the standard clinical second opinion; MD Anderson's own wording is: “The length of time before your first appointment will vary depending on your diagnosis.” The only concrete figure found anywhere on MD Anderson's site is for the separate mail-in pathology-slide product, which publishes a written report “48 hours after receiving pathology samples” — not the general second opinion. MDA-01, MDA-04
What is included — and what is not?
An in-person visit is required; there is no published remote alternative. A typical first visit includes physician consultation, blood tests, imaging exams, and tissue-sample evaluation, with molecular diagnostics for some cancers, and may span several days. MD Anderson's International Center provides dedicated staff and free interpreters for patients from outside the US, but its own FAQ does not state whether a remote review is offered to international patients specifically; given the site-wide no-remote statement, in-person attendance should be assumed to apply internationally too unless MD Anderson confirms otherwise. MDA-01, MDA-06
MD Anderson at a glance
| Feature | MD Anderson (standard clinical second opinion) |
|---|---|
| Remote option | Not offered — in-person only, per MD Anderson's own page |
| Eligibility | Direct patient request; no treatment commitment required |
| Published price | Not published; personalized estimate via MyChart or financial specialists |
| Reviewer | Not published |
| Published turnaround | Not published; “varies depending on your diagnosis” |
| Records needed | Imaging (CT/MRI/PET/bone scan/ultrasound or DICOM), pathology slides, X-rays, medication and allergy lists, physician list |
| Last verified | 2026-09-21 |
What alternatives can be considered?
Someone who specifically needs a remote or written second opinion — rather than an in-person Houston visit — can compare the options below. They are not ranked; each provider should confirm its current terms before a patient submits records or payment.
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Online Second Opinion. Dana-Farber publishes a standardized adult online cancer opinion: $3,000, up to three submitted questions, one Dana-Farber medical oncologist, and a written report typically 7–14 business days after records are complete. Read the Dana-Farber guide.
- Memorial Sloan Kettering online second opinion. MSK's current overview describes a remote cancer second-opinion route with international access, matched through its own intake process; a fixed public price is not published. Read the MSK guide.
- Cleveland Clinic Virtual Second Opinion. Cleveland Clinic publishes direct self-pay routes: $1,690 for a US written report, $1,990 for a report plus provider visit where available, and $4,500 for an international opinion, subject to location rules. Read the Cleveland Clinic guide. CC-01
- Diagnostic Detectives Network. Diagnostic Detectives Network provides independent, private-pay medical second opinions through multi-expert panels of 3–10+ academic physicians, matched to each case from the worldwide medical literature — not from a fixed network. DDN works directly with private individuals and families worldwide — no employer plan, insurance, or membership required. Pricing starts from €6,000 per case; the exact quote depends on panel size and complexity. See what a multi-expert independent panel adds. Start Your Case.
Frequently asked questions
Does MD Anderson offer a remote or video second opinion?
No. MD Anderson's current second-opinion page states directly: “We do not offer remote second opinions at this time.” The published route is an in-person visit in Houston.
What does an MD Anderson second opinion cost?
MD Anderson does not publish a fixed price for the standard clinical second opinion. Self-pay patients can request a personalized estimate through MyChart or by calling MD Anderson's financial specialists directly.
Is the $571 fee an MD Anderson second-opinion price?
No. That figure applies to a separate, different product: a mail-in review of pathology slides prepared elsewhere, without a clinical visit. It is not the price of a standard in-person clinical second opinion, which MD Anderson does not publish.
Do I need a referral to request an MD Anderson second opinion?
MD Anderson's own pages describe a direct patient request process and say a patient does not have to commit to treatment there. They do not describe referral or employer-benefit sponsorship as a requirement, though insurance terms still apply.
Is an MD Anderson second opinion appropriate for an emergency?
No. The published process involves scheduling an in-person visit that can take multiple days once underway, and is not designed for urgent symptoms. Anyone with urgent symptoms should contact local emergency services. DDN is a research-grade informational service — it is not telemedicine, establishes no physician-patient relationship, and is not for emergencies.
About this guide and corrections
Publisher: Diagnostic Detectives Network. Its service is disclosed and listed last; every statement about the named provider is limited to the official pages reviewed.
If a fact is wrong or the provider has changed its terms, send the page title, disputed statement, and official source through the contact page. The correction will be checked against the provider's own publication and the visible verification date will be updated when warranted.
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Source register
- MDA-01: MD Anderson — Second Opinion Appointments, accessed 2026-09-21.
- MDA-02: MD Anderson — Becoming Our Patient, accessed 2026-09-21.
- MDA-03: MD Anderson — Insurance, Billing and Financial Support, accessed 2026-09-21.
- MDA-04: MD Anderson — Second Opinion Pathology (mail-in slide review), accessed 2026-09-21.
- MDA-05: MD Anderson — Prepare for Your First Visit, accessed 2026-09-21.
- MDA-06: MD Anderson — International Center FAQs, accessed 2026-09-21.
- CC-01: Cleveland Clinic — Virtual Second Opinions, last verified 2026-07-11.
- DDN: Diagnostic Detectives Network service statements: Medical Second Opinion, How It Works, and Contact.