Unique Among Cancers is Sarcoma UK’s most comprehensive review of sarcoma care across the UK. Based on our State of the Nation survey, this landmark report shines a light on the experiences of patients, families, clinicians, and researchers – and calls for urgent action to improve sarcoma services.
Drawing on the experiences of nearly 400 people affected by sarcoma – patients, families, healthcare professionals and researchers – this landmark report has found that while the vast majority of sarcoma patients speak positively about the treatment they receive once they reach a specialist centre; it also reveals a health system that is too often failing to meet the needs of people with this rare and complex cancer. ·
Key Findings
Our research highlights that people with sarcoma continue to face significant challenges:
- Delays in diagnosis: One in three patients wait more than six months for a diagnosis, and many report seeing multiple healthcare professionals before being referred.
- Referral pathways to specialist services don’t always work: especially for people with rarer subtypes, such as women and young people, which may result in misdiagnoses, inappropriate treatment, and delays that severely impact outcomes.
- Limited treatment options: There remains a heavy reliance on surgery with few new treatments, highlighting the urgent need for increased research investment.
- Access inequalities: Patients often have to travel long distances to reach one of only 17 specialist centres in the UK, with people living in rural areas, lower-income families, and specific groups like women and children facing the greatest challenges.
- Research funding lags far behind other cancers, with few new treatments on the horizon and lack of access to clinical trials.
- Inadequate mental health support: Many patients and families are left without the psychological support they need during a devastating cancer journey.
Our Recommendations
Unique Among Cancers sets out 16 achievable, mostly cost-neutral recommendations to transform sarcoma care across the UK. These include:
- Expanding access to timely and accurate diagnosis.
- Improving referral pathways to specialist care.
- Investing in sarcoma-specific research and clinical trials.
- Enhancing mental health and aftercare support.
Sarcoma is unique among cancers, not only in how it presents in patients, but in how it is understood, recognised, and prioritised by government and the NHS. We owe it to every person affected by this disease to ensure they receive the best possible care, no matter where they live.
Richard Davidson
Chief Executive, Sarcoma UK
Why This Matters
Sarcoma UK is calling on the UK Government and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to launch an urgent review of sarcoma care and take immediate steps to implement these recommendations. Richard Davidson, Chief Executive of Sarcoma UK, said: ‘This report shines a light on the urgent need for change in how sarcoma is diagnosed, treated, and supported across the UK. We owe it to every person affected by this disease to ensure they receive the best possible care, no matter where they live.’
Download the Report
Read the full Unique Among Cancers report to learn more about the challenges facing sarcoma patients and how we can work together to drive change.
Executive summaries
Click on the nation below to view the executive summary. Document opens in a new window and can be read online or downloaded.
