Sarcoma Diagnosis

The review found that prolonged sarcoma diagnostic intervals are shaped by both patient-level and healthcare-system factors. Key barriers to sarcoma diagnosis include symptom normalisation, misattribution, repeated primary-care consultations, inappropriate referrals, limited continuity, poor communication, biopsy delays and coordination problems. Sarcoma diagnostic delay can be clinically important because longer intervals may be linked to larger tumours, metastatic disease, worse prognosis and poorer treatment outcomes. Addressing delayed sarcoma diagnosis requires better awareness, clearer referral and diagnostic pathways, improved coordination and further research.