Table 2
From: UK guidelines for the management of soft tissue sarcomas
Key recommendations: clinical presentation, referral and assessment: |
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1) Any patient with an unexplained lump that is increasing in size, should be considered for a direct access ultrasound scan to be performed within 2 weeks. |
2) Consider a suspected cancer pathway referral for adults if they have ultrasound scan findings that are suggestive of soft tissue sarcoma or if ultrasound findings are uncertain and clinical concern persists. |
3) Any retroperitoneal or intra-abdominal mass with imaging appearances suggestive of a soft tissue sarcoma should be referred to a specialist MDT before biopsy or surgical treatment. |
4) All patients with a suspected STS should be managed by a specialist Sarcoma MDT as specified in the NICE guidance |
5) A pre-treatment histopathological diagnosis should be made, if possible, by percutaneous core biopsy, which should be reviewed by a specialist sarcoma pathologist for diagnostic confirmation, and appropriate molecular and genomic analysis. |
6) Cross-sectional imaging of the primary tumour, usually in the form of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is recommended prior to definitive surgery. |
7) Imaging of the thorax by CT scan for lung metastases should be performed prior to radical treatment. Further staging may be considered depending on subtype and location of the sarcoma. |
