Latest news with #SarcomaUK
BreakingNews.ie
a day ago
- Health
- BreakingNews.ie
What you need to know about sarcoma – the cancer you've never heard of
When most people think of cancer, names like breast, lung, or prostate cancer instantly come to mind. However, there's another, lesser-known form called sarcoma that affects thousands of people in the UK every year, yet rarely makes headlines. Despite its relative obscurity, it's one of the most aggressive and challenging cancers to diagnose and treat. Advertisement Ahead of Sarcoma Awareness Month (July), we got in touch with Helen Stradling, head of support and healthcare professional engagement services at Sarcoma UK, to find out exactly what sarcoma is, why awareness is so low, and what some of the early symptoms are… What is sarcoma? Sarcoma refers to a broad group of cancers that start in the bones and soft tissues. Photo: Alamy/PA. Sarcoma is a type of cancer that can appear anywhere in the body and everyday 15 people in the UK are diagnosed with it, according to Sarcoma UK's website. 'In terms of breast cancer, lung cancer and bowel cancer, it's very obvious where they come from, whereas the word sarcomas doesn't really tell you anything,' acknowledges Stradling. 'Sarcomas are cancers of the bits and pieces that put us together, like nerves, bones, blood vessels and fat cells.' There are many different subtypes of sarcomas, but they are generally grouped into two main categories. Advertisement 'The main types are sarcomas of bone and sarcomas of soft tissue,' explains Stradling. 'The most common soft tissue sarcomas are the GISTs (gastrointestinal stromal tumours), liposarcomas and leiomyosarcomas, and in the bone sarcomas, the ones we tend to hear the most about are the osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcomas.' Why have many people never heard of sarcomas? 'I think it all comes down to the rarity of it,' says Stradling. 'We diagnose about 5,300 sarcomas in the UK every year, so it's very unlikely when somebody gets a sarcoma diagnosis that they've known somebody else that's had one. 'It's also not the type of cancer that you see spoken about very often in the media. A lot of people that get a sarcoma diagnosis have never heard of sarcomas before.' What are the symptoms? View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sarcoma UK (@sarcoma_uk) 'The main sign of a soft tissue sarcoma is a lump that you can see that is changing or growing,' highlights Stradling. 'Benign lumps are really common, but anyone who has a soft tissue lump anywhere on the body that is growing and changing needs to get that checked out.' Whereas, the main symptom of bone sarcomas is bone pain or swelling that tends to be worse at night. Advertisement 'There's a lot of reasons for joint and bone pain, but if you've got bone pain that you can't put down to any kind of injury, that is not relieving itself with painkillers or anything like that, and the pain wakes you at night, that's a red flag sign,' emphasises Stradling. However, GISTs sarcomas tend to be harder to identify. 'GISTs are a little bit more tricky, because you can hardly ever see anything from them,' says Stradling. 'It's more likely to show up with more subtle signs like bloating or blood in your vomit or stools. 'If you have got any these symptoms and you are being pushed back from healthcare professionals that you're seeing, we would urge you to keep going. If you are really concerned that it could be a sarcoma, mention the word to the professional so that it is something they can consider or start investigating.' Advertisement How is it diagnosed? Diagnosis of sarcomas usually start with an ultrasound or an X-ray. Photo: Alamy/PA. 'It usually starts with somebody either seeing their GP, a physio or a nurse and a lot of time it will be a soft tissue lump that's growing or bone pain,' says Stradling. 'With soft tissue sarcomas we tend to start with an ultrasound and with bone sarcomas we start with X-ray. 'If there's any concern that it might be something more sinister, the patient then has an MRI scan. But most importantly, once that MRI scan is done, we must get a biopsy, because with there being so many different subtypes, we need to know exactly which one we're dealing with to know which is the best treatment for you to have.' Like most forms of cancer, sarcomas can be found at different grades and are much easier to treat if you catch them early before they spread. 'The sooner we can get these diagnosed the better,' says Stradling. 'We know that getting patients into seeing the specialist teams and getting them started on treatment as soon as we can makes a huge positive difference for outcomes.' The primary focus of Sarcoma Awareness Month is to encourage earlier diagnosis and to improve treatment options for those affected by this disease. Photo: Alamy/PA. How is it treated? The primary treatment for sarcomas, both soft tissue and bone sarcomas, is surgery. The goal is to remove the tumour, along with a margin of healthy tissue to minimise the risk of recurrence, according to Sarcoma UK's website. Advertisement 'We really need to get the them at a size where we can do a surgery that isn't going to leave somebody with life-limiting mobility or not being able to do everything that they want to do,' says Stradling. 'We want to avoid the stage where the tumours have already spread, because then the treatments that we've got are limited.' Sarcomas can also be treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, often alongside surgery. 'We do use chemotherapy and radiotherapy for a number of sarcomas, but in a lot of the cases, we don't use them until they've already spread because we know that they're not as effective as we would like them to be,' explains Stradling. 'However, this is slightly different with the younger people that get the bone sarcomas, as they do tend to start with chemotherapy as a kickoff treatment. But in most cases, surgery is the first thing that needs to happen.'
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Health
- Scotsman
Scottish Government backs review of sarcoma treatment after new report reveals stark inequalities in care
A major new study has revealed that hundreds of Scottish sarcoma patients are waiting six months or longer for diagnosis of the rare and often deadly disease due to 'systematic failings' in care. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Following the report's release last week by the bone and soft tissue cancer charity Sarcoma UK, the Scottish Government says it will review sarcoma treatment and care. The report was presented to Health Secretary Wes Streeting at a reception at the House of Commons on Wednesday hosted by Edinburgh South West MP Dr Scott Arthur, author of the Rare Cancer Bill. The report titled 'Unique Among Cancers' is the largest qualitative study of its kind ever undertaken in the UK. It heard from hundreds of patients and healthcare professionals across all four nations, uncovering systematic failings despite excellent specialist care once patients finally reach treatment centres. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Neil Gray MSP, has now agreed to review the findings of the report and its 16 recommendations for how sarcoma treatment and care could be improved. Dr Scott Arthur MP, Richard Davidson, Chief Executive of Sarcoma UK, Nicola Crowson, Patient Advocate, Wes Streeting, Health Secretary and Professor Anant Desai, Chair of the British Sarcoma Group What the Review Found - Excellent Care Undermined by Issues with Diagnosis While the vast majority of sarcoma patients speak positively about the treatment they receive once they reach a specialist centre, the state of the nation review of sarcoma care has also uncovered widespread, systemic failings and inequalities in their overall experience. Drawing on testimonies from patients, families, doctors and researchers, the review exposes how patients are often bounced between services, or dismissed entirely, until the disease is far advanced. Referral pathways are frequently poorly understood or misapplied, particularly for rarer subtypes that disproportionately affect women and young people. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The investigation reveals that dangerous delays in diagnosis are common, often taking six months or longer, with many primary and secondary healthcare professionals lacking training and confidence in identifying this devastating disease. The report also found access to diagnostic imaging remains severely limited and uneven across the UK. Access and Equity Concerns With only five specialist sarcoma centres across Scotland, the review found that severe regional and economic inequalities exist in treatment and care. Rural communities, families with children, and people on lower incomes are disproportionately affected by travel demands. Meanwhile, the treatment landscape for sarcoma remains starkly limited. There is a near-total reliance on surgery, with few meaningful alternatives. It is apparent from our evidence that sarcoma research is grossly underfunded, with a clear market failure in the development of new drugs to treat the disease. Equally, many patients in Scotland are logistically or financially shut out of clinical trials, which are small in number and often concentrated in the south of England, resulting in an inequity of access to potentially lifesaving care. Mental Health and Support Gaps Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The review also highlighted inadequate mental health support, with few patients receiving timely or appropriate psychological help despite the enormous emotional strain of navigating a rare and unpredictable disease. Palliative and end-of-life care were also often found to be poorly resourced to meet sarcoma patients' specific needs. Call for Action In its report, Sarcoma UK has developed 16 clear, achievable and mostly cost-neutral recommendations in partnership with sarcoma healthcare experts and people affected by sarcoma, including: Expanded access to imaging and diagnostic tools in primary and secondary care Urgent investment in sarcoma-specific research and clinical trials Action to address the unique mental health challenges of sarcoma diagnosis and treatment New guidance to improve palliative and end-of-life support for sarcoma patients Richard Davidson, Chief Executive of Sarcoma UK, said: "While we know healthcare professionals work tirelessly to provide excellent specialist care that patients consistently praise, our review exposes unacceptable delays and inequalities that are putting lives at risk before people even reach that care. 'These aren't minor administrative issues – they're systematic failings that mean some patients are dying unnecessarily because of where they live or how long they wait for diagnosis. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Governments have made strong commitments to improving cancer care, but these commitments must extend to everyone, including people with rarer cancers like sarcoma. That is why it is so welcome that the Scottish Government has agreed to review the findings of our report, as well as its recommendations for how sarcoma treatment and care can be improved." Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Neil Gray MSP, said: 'I welcome the finding that specialist cancer care in Scotland is of a high standard, and I am committed to ensuring that everyone affected by cancer – including those with rarer forms like sarcoma – receives timely, equitable, and compassionate care. We will publish our refreshed Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer, including for soft tissue sarcoma and bone cancer, later this month to ensure that patients are on the right pathways at the right time.
Daily Mirror
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Katie Price opens up over rare cancer diagnosis after one sign
Katie Price, 47, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer while she was pregnant with her eldest son, Harvey Katie Price has opened up about her battle with a rare form of cancer that she was diagnosed with while pregnant with her son Harvey. The 47-year-old former glamour model, who became pregnant in 2002 after a brief fling with ex-Premier League star Dwight Yorke, was told by doctors that the stress of her pregnancy could have triggered the development of leiomyosarcoma, commonly referred to as LMS. Just 11 weeks after discovering her son Harvey Price had Prader-Willi Syndrome and was blind, Katie was diagnosed with the uncommon cancer. She shared her ordeal on Katherine Ryan's podcast What's My Age Again?, revealing that the cancer developed on her hand. LMS is a type of soft tissue sarcoma with a 50 per cent survival rate at an advanced stage. Katie initially learned of the lump on her hand when a manicurist noticed it, but two doctors initially dismissed it as harmless. However, she was later advised to have the growth removed and underwent a biopsy at Nuffield Hospital in Brighton, where the lump was excised, reports Plymouth Live. In conversation with comedian Katherine Ryan, Katie recounted: "While I was pregnant with Harvey I got cancer. I didn't know that until, because they couldn't do all the scans, after. "It was in my hand, they took it out, it was called leiomyosarcoma. Apparently I got that from being pregnant, the stress of it." She recalled informing her mother about her diagnosis in a casual manner, saying: "So when I phoned my mum, I just remember going: 'Mum, just to let you know, they found cancer'. I was so flippant like that because so much had already happened to me by then." She explained: "It was just a, 'Yeah, this has happened now', 'Yeah, that's happened now'. I think about it and then I'm just like, oh, well, you just got to get on with it." After her diagnosis, Katie had to attend regular check-ups following the removal of the growth. At the time, she described Harvey as her "inspiration" during her health scare. According to Sarcoma UK, there are around 525 cases of LMS each year in the United Kingdom. The condition affects women more than men, with the median age of diagnosis being 64. The prognosis is generally positive, with around 79% of women and 90% of men surviving the condition for at least a year. Treatment options often involve surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy. Katie went on to have two more children, Junior and Princess, with her ex-husband Peter Andre, whom she met on the set of I'm a Me Out of Here! in 2004 and married in 2005. However, they divorced in 2009. Katie later married Alex Reid in 2010, but they divorced after just a year. In 2013, she married Kieran Hayler, with whom she had two children, Bunny and Jett, before divorcing in 2021. Katie is currently in a relationship with JJ Slater, a former contestant on Married at First Sight.
Edinburgh Reporter
23-05-2025
- Health
- Edinburgh Reporter
Doctor honours mother's memory with marathon for rare cancer research
When Roberta Garau's mother died from a rare cancer ten years ago, her daughter promised that she would help people like her in the future. Now Roberta, 31, is a doctor and will run the Edinburgh Marathon on Sunday in her memory. Her mother Valeria, living in Italy, had sudden symptoms of heavy bleeding and went to A&E. A growth in her uterus was found. Within a few weeks, she had been diagnosed with uterine leiomyosarcoma. Valeria – a researcher who analysed biological data – had an operation to remove the cancer, but it later spread to her lungs and, aged 60, she died in 2015. Roberta Garau Roberta was a student at the University of Aberdeen at the time. She said: 'My mum was an incredible woman – extremely intelligent, hard-working and fun to be around. 'I think about her every single day, and I miss all our conversations. I wish she could have seen the fruits of all her hard work parenting and been there for all my adult life milestones. ' I promised her I would do my best to help people like her in the future. I've since become a doctor, and I am training to be a surgeon with a special interest in cancer, and I am pursuing a PhD in cancer research.' Roberta, from Edinburgh, has just completed a year as President of the Association of Surgeons in Training. She is currently undertaking a PhD looking at colorectal carcinogenesis. Roberta Garau On Sunday, she will be taking part in her first ever marathon for charity Sarcoma UK. She said: 'I remember the difficulty when my mum was the only one with her rare subtype of sarcoma in our town in Italy. She did not have a community or a support network which could give her advice and support. Sarcoma research needs more funding and attention. 'I am fundraising for Sarcoma UK because it provides a community of people with a rare cancer and their family a lifeline for information, support and much-needed research funding.' Sarcoma UK's Ambassador in Scotland, Shelagh Alison, said: 'Dr Garau's dedication to sarcoma awareness represents exactly what we need – passionate individuals who understand both the medical challenges and personal impact of these rare cancers. 'Her journey from a daughter's promise to becoming a surgeon and researcher embodies the determination required to advance sarcoma understanding, support and treatment. 'Every stride she takes in the Edinburgh Marathon helps shine a light on these under-researched cancers and brings hope to patients and families currently facing the issues Valeria experienced. 'We're incredibly grateful for champions like Roberta who transform personal loss into powerful advocacy.' To donate to Roberta, go to Like this: Like Related
The Courier
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Courier
Dundee's Brian Cox among big names in Kirkcaldy festival programme launching this weekend
Succession star Brian Cox features alongside a host of local talent in a packed programme of Kirkcaldy events launching this weekend. Lang Toun Fest is Kirkcaldy's first arts and culture festival. And other big names taking part include Fife-born author Val McDermid, who is interviewing former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Hacienda DJ Graeme Park will also return to his roots for a special benefit gig in aid of Sarcoma UK. However, a host of community talent is also included in the five-week extravaganza. Lang Toun Fest kicks off on Friday May 30 with the Lang Toun Jazz Proms opening concert. It officially closes with Fife Pride on July 5. More than 125 events are already organised, with more being added. They include live music, literature, performance, yoga, comedy, food demonstrations, talks, walking tours and exhibitions. Thousands of printed programmes are now available at venues across Kirkcaldy. The idea for a community-based festival came from discussions among the Kirkcaldy Partners group, comprising individuals and groups from across the town. They share a passion to showcase all that's positive and creative about the Lang Toun. And they took the chance to build on existing initiatives such as the Adam Smith Festival of Ideas, Fife Pride and the Kirkcaldy Walking Festival. Plans are now under way to make the Lang Toun Fest an annual event. Love Oor Lang Toun development manager Ryan Strachan said: 'Lang Toun Fest 2025 is a celebration of arts, culture and local talent.' Full details on all the Lang Toun Fest events can be found at:
