A lung cancer second opinion from Dr Lawrence Okiror reviews your CT and PET scans, the staging, the biopsy result and the treatment plan you have been given, and tells you whether surgery is an option and which operation. Dr Okiror reviews the imaging himself before the appointment. Video consultation within 24 hours, in person within 2–3 days, written report within 48–72 hours. Consultation fee £250–£350. Self-referrals welcome.
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Dr Lawrence Okiror FRCS(CTh) FRCSEd(CTh) · GMC 6150382
Patients told surgery is not possible. Patients told the whole lung must be removed, who want to know whether a lung-sparing sleeve resection was considered. Patients offered surgery who want confirmation. Patients with locally advanced disease not responding as expected. Patients with a nodule reported on a calcium score or CT coronary angiogram who want the images reviewed rather than the report. Anyone uncertain about a recommended treatment plan.
Virtual second opinion within 24 hours — no travel required for initial review. Full assessment of CT, PET, biopsy, and MDT records. International patients welcome. In-person within 2–3 days.
Dr Lawrence Okiror FRCS(CTh) FRCSEd(CTh) — 153 lung cancer operations in 2024–25, career 1,000+. 99.59% operative survival rate vs 98.5% national (SCTS 2024–25). Written report within 48–72 hours.
Send your scans
Tell us which hospital did your CT, PET or X-rays and we arrange electronic transfer into the London Bridge Hospital and Lister systems — usually within 24–48 hours. International patients can upload scans, including from CDs, through our secure image-transfer portal — see the international patients page. Please also send any letters, reports and biopsy results ahead of your appointment.
Consultation within 2–3 days
In person at London Bridge Hospital, The Lister Chelsea, or Canary Wharf — or by video consultation.
Written opinion within 48–72 hours
A clear, detailed report — yours to keep, share with your existing team, or use to plan next steps.
Most people searching for a lung cancer second opinion are doing it quietly — often alone, often late at night — because something doesn’t feel settled. These concerns are common. You are not alone.
No. Any surgeon experienced enough to manage lung cancer will expect patients with serious diagnoses to seek independent reassurance. It is a mark of good judgement, not a slight. If you feel this would cause difficulty, that itself is worth knowing.
Not if done quickly. The review is completed within 48–72 hours. In many cases a second opinion has prevented a patient from proceeding with the wrong plan — saving far more time than it used.
You are not. A lung cancer diagnosis is one of the most significant medical events in a person’s life. Wanting to be certain before a major operation is not anxiety. It is intelligence.
Yes. All enquiries are handled with complete discretion by Dr Okiror’s personal PA. You do not need to involve anyone else at the consultation stage. Many patients come alone.
A second opinion at this practice is a thorough clinical review, not a rubber stamp. Every element of your case is reviewed personally by Dr Okiror.
Imaging — reviewed directly, not just reported
CT and PET scans are reviewed on screen by Dr Okiror — not just the report, but the images. The size and position of the tumour, whether a minimally invasive approach is realistic, and any features the written report may have under-weighted.
Biopsy results and tissue diagnosis
Where a biopsy has been done elsewhere, results are reviewed in context — and the original tissue slides can be obtained and re-examined by histopathologists who specialise in thoracic malignancy at London Bridge Hospital and Guy’s and St Thomas’. A second look at the tissue itself, not just the report, occasionally changes the diagnosis or the plan. If no tissue diagnosis has been obtained, the options are discussed — including ION robotic bronchoscopy, which can reach and sample nodules deep in the lung without open surgery.
Fitness for surgery — properly assessed
Whether you are genuinely fit for an operation — and which operation — is not always fully answered elsewhere. Sometimes a patient has been told they cannot have an operation when, in fact, a less invasive approach makes it entirely possible.
Is the proposed operation actually right?
Is removing an entire lobe necessary — or would a segmentectomy preserve more lung with the same cancer outcome? The JCOG0802 trial (Lancet, 2022) and CALGB 140503 trial (NEJM, 2023) confirmed that for tumours under 2cm, segmentectomy is equally effective. Robotic lung surgery detail →
Discussed at a specialist MDT
Where helpful, your case is discussed at a specialist thoracic cancer multidisciplinary team — at London Bridge Hospital for private patients, and at Guy’s and St Thomas’ for NHS patients — bringing together thoracic surgeons, thoracic radiologists, medical and clinical (radiation) oncologists, respiratory physicians and a specialist lung cancer nurse. You receive a consensus view, not one surgeon’s opinion. Patients whose care is shaped by a full MDT and supported by a specialist nurse are more likely to receive the right treatment and recover well.
Written report
A full written summary within 48–72 hours. This can be shared with your existing surgical team, your GP, or your insurer.
A second opinion is only as valuable as the experience behind it. Dr Okiror is based at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust — the UK’s largest lung cancer surgery centre.
153
Personal lung cancer operations 2024–25
99.59%
Operative survival rate at GSTT vs 98.5% national (SCTS 2024–25)
71.3%
Of GSTT resections robotic vs 24% national average
6%
Wedge resections vs 14% national — more anatomical, lung-sparing operations
Dr Okiror holds the highest cardiothoracic surgical fellowships of both the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He sits on the RCSEd Surgical Specialty Board in Cardiothoracic Surgery, which nominated him as its representative to the College’s Robotic Surgery Taskforce, and he examines candidates for the UK and European boards in cardiothoracic surgery.
If your second opinion confirms surgery is the right step, you do not have to join a waiting list. London Bridge Hospital was the first private provider in Europe to offer ION robotic bronchoscopy in routine clinical practice. The complete pathway — from consultation to operation — can be completed in days. Lung nodule precision pathway →
Tests and Staging
What each test answers — and which question produced your result
Lung Cancer Surgery in 2026
The stages I–IIIA pathway, screening through to systemic therapy
Robotic Segmentectomy
Whether a smaller, lung-sparing operation is possible in your case
Small Cell Lung Cancer
Whether staging was complete enough to exclude a surgical option
Surgery After Chemoimmunotherapy
Resection following systemic treatment in locally advanced disease
Fitness for Lung Surgery
When “not fit for surgery” deserves a second assessment
Timing. Surgery is usually within a week of completing investigations. Patients who already have their tests can be booked for surgery within days of their consultation. Urgent cases can be booked for surgery within 48 hours. Transfers from NHS hospitals are arranged by the HCA Medical Concierge team. Where the diagnosis and staging are complete, the operation usually follows within a week. Where tissue is still needed, ION robotic bronchoscopy can be arranged within days and, in selected patients, biopsy and resection are performed under one anaesthetic.
A second opinion consultation costs £250–£350 and includes the written report. A guide price for a robotic lobectomy or segmentectomy at London Bridge Hospital is £25,000–£30,000, covering hospital, surgeon and anaesthetist fees for an uncomplicated stay. Hospital charges are the largest part of the total. The hospital issues a written fixed quote after consultation and before treatment, and that quote is the figure that applies. All guide prices and how fees work → Pneumonectomy is £30,000–£38,000.
Dr Okiror is recognised by AXA Health, Bupa, Aviva, Vitality, WPA and Cigna, and by most other UK and international insurers. If you have private medical insurance, Dr Okiror and the hospital bill your insurer directly, and insurers usually settle the hospital, surgeon and anaesthetist fees in full, less any excess written into your policy. Please confirm with your insurer that your policy covers treatment at London Bridge Hospital or The Lister before your first appointment. Self-paying patients are equally welcome.
The most common questions patients ask when seeking an independent expert review of a lung cancer diagnosis or treatment plan.
Request a Second Opinion →Or call Jo Mitchelson:
020 7952 2882
Appointments within 2–3 days at London Bridge Hospital. Video within 24 hours. Self-referrals welcome. All enquiries handled with complete discretion.
Jo Mitchelson, PA · 020 7952 2882 · pa@lungsurgeon.co.uk
St Thomas' Hospital #1 UK · Guy's Hospital #2 UK · London Bridge Hospital #10 UK · Newsweek World’s Best Hospitals 2026