People with sarcoma need to receive much faster diagnoses, giving them the best chance of survival and recovery.
One in three patients wait more than six months for a diagnosis, and many report seeing multiple healthcare professionals before being referred.
Why this needs to change:
- 1 in 3 patients visited their GP 3 or more times before being referred onwards. If female might be 5 times or more.
- 30% of patients waited over six months for a diagnosis. 17% waited more than a year.
- Lack of knowledge about sarcoma among frontline healthcare professionals.
- Patients seeing GPs or other healthcare professionals multiple times before referral.
- Difficulty recognising vague symptoms and identifying suspected sarcoma.
- Resource pressures on primary care.
- Lack of access to imaging for GPs.
- Pressure on GPs not to over-refer.
What we want to see change
People with sarcoma need to receive much faster diagnoses.
The UK Government, Devolved Administrations and the health service should:
1. Establish optimal diagnostic pathways for sarcomas
Establish optimal diagnostic pathways for sarcomas to shorten the time to diagnosis and guarantee delivery against Cancer Waiting Times, including the Faster Diagnosis Standard in England.
2. Increase rapid access to timely diagnostic imaging and biopsies
Increase rapid access to timely diagnostic imaging and biopsies, supported by specialist sarcoma radiology and histopathology expertise.
This should be delivered through joined-up commissioning, specialist training and quality assurance of diagnostic services by sarcoma specialists.
What difference would this make?
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