A Comprehensive Single Institutional Review of 2 Years in a Designated Fast-Track Sarcoma Diagnostic Clinic Linked with a Sarcoma Specialist Advisory Group: Meeting the Target but Failing the Task?
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Authors
Szucs, Zoltan
Davidson, Dochka
Wong, Han Hsi
Horan, Gail
Grant, Ian
Grimer, Robert
Hopper, Melanie A
Hatcher, Helen
Publication Date
2016-06-02Journal Title
Sarcoma
ISSN
1357-714X
Publisher
Hindawi Publishing Corporation
Volume
2016
Number
6032606
Language
English
Type
Article
This Version
VoR
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Szucs, Z., Davidson, D., Wong, H. H., Horan, G., Bearcroft, P., Grant, I., Grimer, R., et al. (2016). A Comprehensive Single Institutional Review of 2 Years in a Designated Fast-Track Sarcoma Diagnostic Clinic Linked with a Sarcoma Specialist Advisory Group: Meeting the Target but Failing the Task?. Sarcoma, 2016 (6032606)https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/6032606
Abstract
Background. National guidelines prompted the implementation of a designated two-week wait referral pathway to facilitate the early diagnosis of sarcomas, to improve treatment outcomes. Methods. Patients referred to the Cambridge Sarcoma Diagnostic Clinic between January 2013 and December 2014 were identified through the electronic appointments system. Information was retrospectively retrieved about patient characteristics and details of the diagnostic pathway. Results. 17.3% of patients referred (69/397) were diagnosed with a malignancy. Of these, 59.3% (41/69) had primary sarcomas, 17.4% (12/69) had metastatic cancer, and 23.2% (16/69) had a different primary malignancy. 15% of the 41 sarcomas were <5 cm, 34% in the 5–10 cm range, and 51% >10 cm. Sarcomas diagnosed through this clinic represented 13% (41/315) of sarcomas managed at the centre during the same 2 years. Conclusion. While we achieved the target of 10% (41/397) sarcoma diagnosis rate in the rapid access clinic, only 15% of these were <5 cm better prognosis lesions. This calls into question the “real world” impact of such diagnostic clinics on early diagnosis of sarcomas. In order to enhance generic cancer diagnostic skills, training in these diagnostic clinics could be usefully integrated into national training curricula for both surgical and nonsurgical oncologists.
Identifiers
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/6032606
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/256803
Rights
Attribution 4.0 International, Attribution 4.0 International, Attribution 4.0 International, Attribution 4.0 International
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