Silent but deadly – how to spot a sarcoma Craig Gerrand Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Freeman Hospital, Newcastle

Introduction What is a sarcoma, and why does it matter? Who gets sarcomas? What is the best treatment for a sarcoma? How can I tell a sarcoma from a ganglion? Aetiology Classification Management

Benign tumour of mature adipose tissue What is a lipoma? Benign tumour of mature adipose tissue

A simple fluid filled cyst usually arising from a joint or tendon. What is a ganglion? A simple fluid filled cyst usually arising from a joint or tendon.

What is a sarcoma?

Bone and soft tissue sarcomas Are rare malignant tumours arising from connective tissues Heterogenous in type and location Most are mesenchymal in origin

How rare is rare? Soft tissue masses are common (many hundreds in a GP lifetime) Malignant soft tissue sarcomas are uncommon (1 or 2 in a GP lifetime) England and Wales 400 primary bone tumours per annum 1500 soft tissue sarcomas per annum

How malignant 1? Survival of all patients with bone sarcomas

How malignant 3? Survival of all patients with soft tissue sarcomas

Primary bone tumours Morphological classification Over 30 variants

Soft tissue sarcoma Morphological classification Over 100 variants

Aetiology Most are sporadic Predisposing factors inherited predisposition immunosuppression irradiation specific chemicals Genetic changes within cells lead to tumours

Age distribution of primary bone tumours

Age distribution of soft tissue sarcomas

Soft Tissue Sarcoma Distribution 55% extremities 35% retroperitoneum and viscera 10% head and neck

What is the best treatment for sarcomas?

Best treatment Early detection and referral Multidisciplinary team management

Why refer early? Delays in diagnosis are common Risk of metastasis relates to size of tumour

Where do delays occur? Patient (7 months) GP (7 months) Hospital

Biopsy of sarcomas Sarcomas are implantable Therefore Careful planning is mandatory

The Whoops! procedure Excision without regard to principles of tumour surgery and usually without imaging ie tumour “shelled out” without considering the possibility of malignancy Further treatment complicated

Principles of biopsy Image first Careful planning with regard to definitive surgery If in doubt, discuss! Excise the biopsy track during definitive surgery Extensile incisions Avoid neurovascular structures Good haemostasis Drain through or close to the wound

Treatment of sarcomas Multidisciplinary team Combined approach with radiotherapy, surgery and chemotherapy Specialist centre

Patient perspective Rare tumour Often incorrectly reassured May have to travel for treatment

Low grade fatty tumours Low risk of local recurrence Low risk of metastatic disease Treatment by planned marginal excision

Indications for amputation Adequate margins not possible with limb salvage Major complications of radiotherapy would follow A below knee amputation may be more serviceable than a salvaged distal extremity Some cases of local recurrence may not be treatable by standard surgery and radiotherapy

The future Changes in administrative structure (NICE, NSCAG, NCRI) Better identification of risk groups Better chemotherapy Better radiotherapy Tissue engineering Gene therapy New imaging modalities

Who to refer 1? Soft tissue masses Size >5cm Painful Increasing in size Deep to fascia Recurring after previous excision

Who to refer 2? Undiagnosed bone pain needs an x-ray! Bone abnormalities on X-ray Bone destruction New bone formation Associated soft tissue swelling Periosteal elevation

North of England Bone and Soft Tissue Tumour Service Orthopaedics Shona Murray Craig Gerrand Mike Gibson Plastic Surgery Rick Milner General Surgery Derek Manus Paul Hainsworth Thoracic surgery Sion Barnard Clinical Oncology Helen Lucraft Charles Kelly Medical Oncology Mark Verrill Ruth Plummer Paediatric Oncology Juliet Hale Quentin Campbell Hewson Alan Craft Radiology Geoff Hide Chris Baudoin Pathology Petra Dildey Macmillan nurse Joy Dowd

Thank you