Sarcoma Awareness

What is Sarcoma?

Sarcomas are very rare cancers which can affect any part of the body. There are many different subtypes of Sarcoma but they usually fall into one of two groups; Soft Tissue Sarcoma or Bone Sarcoma.

One of the main symptoms of Sarcoma is a lump, somewhere on the body, which tends to get larger over time. This can typically be found on the arms, legs or torso but Sarcoma can develop in almost any part of the body.

What are the symptoms of Sarcoma?

• A lump, which may or may not be painful and is growing, changing, or bigger than a golf ball

• Swelling, tenderness or pain in or around the bone which may come and go and may be worse at night

• Stomach pain, feeling sick, loss of appetite or feeling full after eating only a small amount of food

• Blood in either your poo or vomit

• A broken bone that happens unexpectedly, such as with a minor injury or no injury at all

• Weight loss

Sarcoma UK point out that most lumps and pains are not Sarcoma (and that this list doesn’t cover everything) but if you are worried about a lump, then it’s important to keep track of any changes and tell your GP. They have a good guide on how to measure and track lumps here: Measuring and Tracking a Lump

Why it is important to raise awareness of Sarcoma

Sarcoma cancer is not common. Out of every 200 people who have cancer in the UK, just 3 of them will have Sarcoma cancer. Unfortunately the rarity of this cancer means that it often goes unrecognised and can be misunderstood. According to Sarcoma UK, “it is often misdiagnosed, diagnosed late or treated incorrectly, leading to tumours growing and spreading and further reducing the few treatment options available”. The 5 year survival rates for those diagnosed with this type of cancer are 55%, much lower than many other types of cancer.

Sarcoma cancer is rare; a GP may only ever see one or two patients with Sarcoma cancer in their entire career, which makes identifying it much more difficult for a non-specialist. According to the Royal National Orthopedic Hospital, “The prognosis for the UK’s sarcoma patients has changed little over the past 40 years. Late diagnosis is a key factor”. It remains the case that for too many people, by the time Sarcoma cancer is diagnosed it is unfortunately too late for effective treatment options.

This is why it is so important to raise awareness of signs and symptoms of Sarcoma.

L&g learning are committed to raising awareness of Sarcoma cancer in memory of Gemma Trainer, former colleague, friend and daughter of our Director, Lorna Trainer.