Cases of sarcoma cancer on the rise

MORE than 5,300 people are being diagnosed with sarcoma cancer every year in the UK – suggesting it is more common than previously thought, a charity has warned.

Sarcoma is cancer of the bone and soft tissue which can develop anywhere in the body, making it one of the most difficult cancers to diagnose.

The majority of people are not diagnosed until their sarcoma is the size of a large baked beans tin.

Historical data suggested the number of annual diagnoses was about 3,800 but charity Sarcoma UK said it had found it to be significantly higher than that, with 15 people now diagnosed in the UK each day.

The data – released as part of Sarcoma Awareness Week – is taken from the most recent sets of complete sarcoma data from the four UK nations.

The project, led by the charity, marks the first time in almost a decade that such information has been collated consistently.

Although momentum in sarcoma research has accelerated in recent years, the low incidences in sub-types can present a challenge to researchers when it comes to both recruitment and statistical significance of results.

In 2015, sarcoma made up just 1.3 per cent of all UK cancers diagnosed that year.

Although survival rates have crept up incrementally in the last two decades, the outlook for people diagnosed with sarcoma remains challenging, with the five-year sarcoma survival rate standing at 55 per cent.

Sarah McDonald, of Sarcoma UK, said: “It’s time to take sarcoma seriously. For the first time in years, we have a fuller, accurate picture of how sarcoma is affecting the UK population.”