Sarcoma Negligence & Misdiagnosis Claims Solicitors.

Sarcoma is a rare type of cancer that can affect a variety of areas within the body including the bones, muscles, cartilage, fibrous tissue, fatty tissue, tendons, blood vessels, and nerves. The parts of the body most often affected by sarcoma are the legs, arms, torso, stomach and the female reproductive system.

Around 1% of all cancer diagnoses in the UK each year are sarcoma. The rarest form of sarcoma is bone sarcoma, with less than 500 people in the UK being diagnosed each year. Figures from the charity Sarcoma UK show that the survival rate for the disease has been gradually improving over the past two decades, however, early diagnosis plays a vital role in the survival rate.

In most cases, patients with sarcoma receive exceptional treatment and care. However, medical mistakes can sometimes be made, potentially resulting in the cancer progressing and spreading to other parts of the body, which can make it more difficult to treat.

Some examples of medical mistakes that constitute sarcoma negligence include:

• Your GP fails to carry out the appropriate examinations when you present with symptoms
• Your symptoms are incorrectly diagnosed as a different condition
• Your GP fails to refer you to a specialist for further testing
• Your GP fails to check whether you are in a high-risk category for developing sarcoma
• The specialist fails to carry out the appropriate testing for sarcoma
• Your test results are misread and misinterpreted
• An abnormal test result is not followed up on
• There is a significant delay in the tests being carried out
• The treatment prescribed is not appropriate for treating the type of sarcoma with which you have been diagnosed

Medical negligence can have a profound impact on a patient’s prognosis for sarcoma. For example, when sarcoma is misdiagnosed as a different, less serious condition, it can not only lead to the cancer spreading and progressing, but a patient may also receive unnecessary treatment which could cause further health complications. Any delay in receiving the correct diagnosis and treatment also has the potential to allow the cancer to become so advanced it is untreatable, with the only course of action being palliative care.

There are several different types of sarcoma, affecting different parts of the body. Each type may present with slightly different symptoms and may require a different course of treatment.

Some of the most common types of sarcoma include:

• Chondrosarcoma – Develops within the cartilage of the thigh bone, pelvis, and upper arm
• Osteosarcoma – Develops most often within the shin, knee, thigh, or upper arm bones, and mostly affects teens and young adults
• Chordoma – Develops in the base of the skull or base of the spine and mostly affects adults of middle age
• Ewing’s Sarcoma – Develops most often in the pelvis, thigh bone, and shin bone, affecting mainly teens and young adults
• Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumour (GIST) – Develops in the soft tissue of the gastrointestinal tract, mostly affecting the stomach and small bowel
• Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumour (MPNST) – Can develop anywhere in the body and forms in the cells that surround the nerves
• Kaposi’s Sarcoma – This is caused by the HHV-8 virus and typically affects the mouth and skin

The symptoms of sarcoma often don’t present themselves in the early stages of the disease and the symptoms typically vary depending on the part of the body that is affected by sarcoma. However, some of the key symptoms to be aware of include:

• Pain in the bones which is often worse at night
• Swelling in the affected area
• A painful lump appearing under the skin
• Painful joints and restricted movement
• A persistent cough or breathing difficulties (if sarcoma develops in the lungs)
• Abdominal pain (if sarcoma develops in the digestive system)

Sarcoma can develop within the soft tissues of the body, and the tumour can push the healthy tissue aside as it grows, so a sarcoma tumour may grow quite large before it begins to cause noticeable symptoms.

As soon as you notice any differences in your health, it is advisable to seek medical attention as soon as possible. Your doctor has a duty of care to listen to your concerns and carry out the appropriate tests and examinations to rule out certain conditions and reach a diagnosis.

Any failure of a doctor to follow up on your reported symptoms may constitute medical negligence, and you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation. If you feel that the treatment you received was not up to standard, please get in touch and our medical negligence team will be happy to discuss the matter with you and offer guidance.

It is not known exactly what causes sarcoma to develop, however there are several risk factors which may increase the likelihood of an individual developing the disease. If you present to your doctor with potential symptoms of sarcoma, they should also seek to establish whether you fall into one or more of the following high-risk categories:

• A family history of sarcoma
• Being a teenager or young adult
• A history of the bone disorder Paget’s disease
• Exposure to radiation including during previous cancer treatments
• A genetic disorder including retinoblastoma, neurofibromatosis, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, and Gardner syndrome

The presence of one or more of these risk factors does not necessarily mean that you will develop sarcoma. However, it should serve to heighten your doctor’s awareness of your symptoms and ensure that they order the correct tests to either rule out or confirm the presence of sarcoma. Failure to take these potential risk factors into account could constitute negligence and may give you grounds on which to claim compensation.