July is Sarcoma Awareness Month and whilst considered rare, with Sarcoma UK reporting that only around 5,400 people per year are diagnosed, there are over 100 different types with the most common being soft tissue sarcoma and bone sarcoma.
What is Sarcoma and what are the symptoms?
Sarcoma can affect any part of the body, on the inside or outside, including bone, tendons, blood vessels, and fatty tissues.
Dr Sorell Bickley, director of research at Sarcoma UK says there are several main symptoms that people should be aware of including:
- a lump that grows of changes
- swelling or pain around a bone
- stomach pain, feeling sick, and loss of appetite
- blood or poo in vomit
The Bone Cancer Research Trust and Sarcoma UK have joined with Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to work on the National Sarcoma Awareness Project. They say that the project is aimed at final-year medical students and postgraduate doctors and is to help equip them with spotting sarcomas.
They go on to say that:
“medical students continue to receive limited education on sarcoma during their degree… doctors of the future may not fully understand the red flag symptoms, referral pathways and how the care of patients is managed.”
A patient survey found that 1 in 3 people waited at least six months after first consulting a healthcare professional before receiving an accurate diagnosis for their sarcoma.
Comment
It is concerning that the lack of training at an undergraduate level is filtering through and affecting the time taken for people to receive a correct diagnosis which can subsequently result in more drastic treatment options. If someone has been negligently misdiagnosed or diagnosed late because of medical negligence, this may give rise to a claim for compensation.
How can we help?
Charlotte Cadman is a Trainee Solicitor in our expert Medical Negligence team, which is ranked in tier one by the independently researched publication, The Legal 500.
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