Read article Should I see a sarcoma specialist?
This page tells you about the UK guidelines that GPs have to help them decide whether you need to see a specialist urgently for suspected soft tissue sarcoma. There is information about
Should I see a soft tissue sarcoma specialist?
It can be very difficult for GPs to decide who may have a suspected cancer and who may have something much more minor that will go away on its own. The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) have produced guidelines for GPs to help them decide which patients need to be seen urgently by a specialist. Not all symptoms need an urgent referral but your GP may still refer you to a specialist for further investigation.
Guidelines for urgent referral
Your GP may organise tests if you have increasing, unexplained pain that doesn't go away, especially when you are resting, or if you have an unexplained lump.
The NICE guidelines say that your GP should arrange an urgent referral to a specialist if they can feel a lump in soft tissue that
- Is larger than 5cm (2 inches) wide
- Is painful
- Is getting bigger
- Is deep in the tissue, particularly if it is fixed and so doesn't move easily when examined
- Has come back after being removed before
If you are still worried
If you are concerned that your GP is not taking your symptoms as seriously as you think they should, you could print this page and take it along to an appointment.
You can view and print the quick guides for all the pages in the About soft tissue sarcoma cancer section.
A soft tissue sarcoma is a cancer of the soft tissues of the body - for example, muscle tissue, fat tissues or the tissues that make the blood vessels. These types of cancer are not very common.
It can be very difficult for GPs to decide who may have a suspected cancer and who may have something much more minor that will go away on its own. With many symptoms, it is perfectly right that your GP should ask you to wait to see if they get better or respond to treatment such as antibiotics. If GPs referred everyone who came to see them to a specialist immediately, the system would get jammed and people needing urgent appointments wouldn't be able to get them.
There are particular symptoms that are more likely to be due to a cancer. If you have these symptoms your GP should refer you to a specialist straight away. The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) have produced guidelines for GPs in England and Wales to help them decide which patients need to be seen urgently by a specialist. The guidelines on referrals for soft tissue sarcoma were updated in June 2005. In Scotland, the Scottish Executive referral guidelines for suspected cancer were published in February 2007.
If you have other symptoms you may not need an urgent referral but your GP may still refer you to a specialist for further investigation of your problems. The appointment may then take a few weeks or months.
Your GP may organise some tests if you have increasing, unexplained pain that doesn't go away, especially when you are resting, or if you have an unexplained lump.
According to the NICE guidelines, you should ideally get an appointment within 2 weeks for an urgent referral. The guidelines say that your GP should arrange an urgent referral to a specialist if they can feel a lump in soft tissue that
- Is larger than 5cm (2 inches) wide
- Is painful
- Is getting bigger
- Is deep in the tissue, particularly if it is fixed and so doesn't move easily when examined
- Has come back after being removed before
If you are concerned that your GP is not taking your symptoms as seriously as you think they should, you could print this page and take it along to an appointment. Ask your GP to talk it through with you and then you may be able to decide together whether you need to see a specialist and if so, how soon.
NHS guidelines state that everyone with sarcoma should be under the care of a ‘multi-disciplinary team’ (MDT). This is a team of health professionals who work together to decide on the best way to care for you. And the guidelines recommend that people with sarcoma or fibromatosis should be referred for diagnosis and management to a hospital that specialises in treating sarcoma.
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