Professor Sandra Strauss
University College London
Awarded: £500,000
Awarded £500,000 in collaboration with the Bone Cancer Research Trust, with funding released in two tranches upon successful completion of milestones
The challenge
Sarcomas are rare and complex cancers that should be treated by sarcoma specialists. People often experience delays to their diagnosis and treatment, which can negatively affect both their experience and outcomes.
It remains unclear how sarcoma care varies between different groups of people across England. The National Disease Registration Service (part of NHS England) was set up in 2013 to collect and bring together the data that patients provide to the NHS.
Until now, this information has never been fully connected to show the complete picture of how people are diagnosed and treated. Without this understanding, it is difficult for the NHS to see where and how sarcoma care can be improved.
How will this project tackle this challenge?
Professor Sandra Strauss and her team aim to use this national data to explore the key issues identified by patients and the sarcoma community. Analysis of the data will focus on:
- Delays in diagnosis and treatment
- Inequalities in access to specialist care
- Access to genomic testing, new treatments and clinical trials
- Understanding patient experience and support
The team will engage with the sarcoma community and the wider health sector to share findings, raise awareness and address the gaps identified by the results.
What this means for people affected by sarcoma
This is an exciting project with the potential to deliver change within the NHS and improve outcomes for people affected by sarcoma. The findings will identify where gaps exist and guide efforts to reduce inequalities and raise standards of care. Bringing this data together will give doctors, hospitals and decision-makers the evidence they need to make sarcoma care faster, fairer and more consistent for everyone.
