Sarcoma Awareness Month focuses on improving earlier diagnosis

03 Jul 2023

July is Sarcoma Awareness Month, and this year’s theme focuses on encouraging action for earlier diagnosis of the disease.

Many people don’t really know what sarcoma is. According to Sarcoma UK, the bone and soft tissue cancer charity, around 5,300 people are diagnosed with a sarcoma every year in the UK, making it one of the rarer forms of cancer. It can affect any part of the body, including muscle, bone, tendons, blood vessels and fatty tissues.

However, the prognosis for sarcoma patients has changed little over the past 40 years, and there is a recognition that work to improve earlier diagnosis is much needed.

Throughout July, the London and South East Sarcoma Network (LSESN) will be running a series of events across the three sites which currently host multidisciplinary clinical teams for sarcoma patients including The Royal Marsden, University College London Hospitals and the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital.

For more information on the sarcoma work ongoing across London, visit the London and South East Sarcoma Network (lsesn.nhs.uk)