Soft tissue Sarcoma

Hi NK9120,

Thank you for getting in touch with us and welcome to our online community.  My name is Adrienne and I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists at Macmillan.

I’m so sorry to hear how worried you are and it’s completely understandable that the wait will be making you anxious, especially as the GP forgot to send the referral. 

England introduced a new target for the suspected cancer pathway which means   you should not wait more than 28 days from referral by GP to finding out whether you have cancer or not.  This target is in place because we know that most cancers usually grow slowly so waiting a few weeks for a test does not usually affect how well treatment, if needed, will work.  Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are slightly different in that their target is no more than 62 days from referral to starting treatment.  You can read more about that here.  It can take several weeks to get any tests and investigations done but remember that 9 out of 10 people (90%) referred this way will not have a diagnosis of cancer.

That being said, it’s understandable that this is a worrying time for you.  Many people feel anxious while they are waiting. You may feel like you have no control over what is going to happen to you. The waiting period might feel very long, and the future may feel uncertain.

There is no right or wrong way to deal with these feelings. Some people find it helps to carry on with your usual activities as much as possible. Continuing with everyday activities, such as going to work, can be a welcome distraction from worrying. Other people may feel they cannot concentrate on anything else.

Some people look for more information about cancer during this time. Searching for information can help you feel more in control while you wait for your results. But this is not always helpful.

Some cancer information can be confusing or upsetting. And you may find information that does not apply to you. Before looking for more information, it may be better to wait for the results and talk to your healthcare team. If you do decide to find out more, make sure the information is from a reliable source.

It may help to get support from family, friends or a support organisation such as Anxiety UK or Mind.  Macmillan is also here to support you. If you would like to talk, you can give us a call on 0808 808 00 00 or even chat to us online.

I hope this information was helpful and hopefully you will have an appointment for the MRI scan soon.

Take care and best wishes,

Adrienne

Cancer Information Nurse Specialist 

Ref:  AMc/RH