Pre-diagnostic route reported by patients with sarcoma from the Netherlands, the UK, Australia and New Zealand: early detection challenges for general practitioners - an international observational cohort study.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate how patients with sarcoma present prior to diagnosis-through a general practitioner (GP) or another healthcare professional (HCP)-and describe presenting symptoms.

DESIGN

International observational cohort study.

SETTING

Data were obtained from the longitudinal 'QUality of life and Experiences of Sarcoma Trajectories' (QUEST) cohort study, conducted across the Netherlands, the United Kingdom (UK), Australia and New Zealand.

RESULTS

Among 572 patients, 487 (85.1%) started their diagnostic trajectory at the GP (subcohort 1) and 85 (14.9%) with another HCP (subcohort 2)-mainly medical specialists treating unrelated conditions (36/85; 42.4%). Soft tissue sarcoma patients most often reported swelling, whereas bone sarcoma patients reported unexplained pain. Notably, 31/85 (36.5%) of subcohort 2 were asymptomatic. Reasons for delaying GP visits included assuming symptoms were minor and expecting them to resolve. Patients sought care when, among others, symptoms persisted and worsened.

CONCLUSIONS

Most patients first consulted a GP, underlining the role of primary care in sarcoma diagnosis internationally. Due to rarity and nonspecific symptoms, faster diagnosis remains challenging, requiring improvements in both primary and specialist care.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03441906; Results.