Suspected Sarcoma

Hi Poobear77

Thanks for getting in touch and welcome to the online community. I’m Eileen one of the Cancer Information Nurses on the support line.

I’m sorry to hear about the problems you’ve encountered with your referral to hospital. I can appreciate that waiting for investigations to confirm a diagnosis is an anxious time particularly when you have lost a loved one to cancer.

It’s not possible for us to comment on the nature of the area of concern on your bicep. There are many benign conditions such as lipomas that can cause lesions in the body. If doctors are uncertain about the nature of the growth or suspect it may be sarcoma investigations are needed to reach a diagnosis.

If your referral has been made for a suspected cancer there are NHS waiting time targets for diagnosis and treatment in the different UK nations. Although there are targets there can be variables in different areas. Your GP should be able to let you know whether you have been referred for a suspected cancer and about waiting times in your locality.

It’s understandable that you are worried about the impact of any delay in diagnosis. It’s common for people to be concerned that if they have cancer could it spread whilst they are waiting on tests. Most cancers grow slowly meaning that waiting a few weeks for diagnostic tests does not usually impact how well treatment works.

If you experience any new symptoms or there is a change in the lesion whilst you are waiting to be seen at the hospital, please contact your GP immediately to make them aware.

I do hope this information is helpful.

If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get back in touch. You can speak with the Macmillan Support Line on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or email us. 

Best wishes,

Eileen

Cancer Information Nurse Specialist

Ref : HC