Patient Symptom Interpretation

Patients often explained early sarcoma symptoms as benign and linked them to lifestyle, minor injury, ageing, sports, trauma or everyday bodily changes. Social networks sometimes reinforced symptom normalisation by reassuring patients or interpreting symptoms as harmless. Patients were more likely to seek care when symptoms interfered with daily life, work, mobility or became visibly changed or prominent. Increasing pain, night pain and lack of improvement also prompted patients to contact healthcare professionals.