For Healthcare Professionals

This section aims to provide information and resources for healthcare professionals working in, or interested in, the field of primary bone cancer in regards to the diagnosis, treatment and support of patients.

If you would like further information regarding primary bone cancer please contact us with details of your enquiry.

Primary bone cancer is rare and difficult to identify for both patients and healthcare professionals. Recognising bone cancer at earlier stages is crucial in improving prognosis.

The symptoms of primary bone cancer can be very general, and are often mistaken for other common health conditions.

Many GPs and healthcare professionals have never seen or treated a case. Symptoms are easily - and often - mistaken for other conditions. A lack of awareness means patients can wait months - even years - before seeking help for their symptoms and so frequently present with advanced tumours. This can all lead to a distressing and difficult diagnostic experience for patients and delays crucial treatment.

Between 2005 and 2010, just 41% of patients were sent for further investigation via a standard GP referral, or via the urgent Two-Week Wait system. Almost a quarter were diagnosed after an emergency admission; these patients were more likely to require an amputation, and had a poorer survival outlook than those who were referred by their doctor. (Statistics provided by the West Midlands Public Health England Knowledge and Intelligence Team)

A free e-learning module for GPs

Please note that the e-learning module is currently unavailable as it is due for review. If you would like to be notified when it is back up and running please email info@bcrt.org.uk and we will let you know when it is avalibnle again.

The Bone Cancer Research Trust have developed the first ever GP e-learning module for primary bone cancer. The primary bone cancer e-learning module will help GPs and healthcare professionals spot primary bone cancer symptoms sooner by providing them with the right information, in particular the 'red flag symptoms':

Pain at rest - which may be intermittent
Pain at night
Reduced mobility
Pain away from the joint
Easy bruising
Excessive tiredness
Fevers or sweats
Weight loss

The module also recommends doctors to:

Use differential diagnosis
Have high index of suspicion and low threshold for possible cancer symptoms
Contact the specialist bone cancer centres for advice and make referrals to these directly

The module guides learners through two detailed case studies, followed by information about how diagnosis can be sped up, and primary bone cancer treatment and possible outcomes. It also looks at the importance of reviewing late diagnoses and including observations by other health professionals to improve the diagnostic experience for future patients.

For more information on the module and reviews from GPs who took the module, please click here or visit www.bcrt.org.uk/gp

In this section you will find a list of useful resources for clinicians, surgeons, nurses and all other healthcare professionals working with those affected by primary bone cancer.

The British Sarcoma Group (BSG):

The British Sarcoma Group is the association of clinicians, nurses and supporting professionals who treat sarcoma patients in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The BSG hold an annual conference to bring together members and promote best practice and care for sarcoma patients.

Membership to the British Sarcoma Group is free to all clinicians, nurses and supporting professionals who treat patients with sarcoma in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are eligible to join the British Sarcoma Group. They also welcome membership applications from international colleagues.

For more information on the British Sarcoma Group and their upcoming conference, please visit www.britishsarcomagroup.org.uk

The Bone Cancer Conference:

The Bone Cancer Research Trust are committed to offering a free-to-attend annual conference to bring together all members of the community; patients, family and friends, researchers and healthcare professionals. The aim of the day is to create a supportive community and share research updates, personal stories and an opportunity to interact and network with others.

This year, The Bone Cancer Conference 2020 will be held in both Watford, London and in Ashton-under-Lyne, Manchester. Planning is underway and spaces are going fast. Click here to register today!

National Sarcoma Forum

The National Sarcoma Forum (NSG) was set up in 2011. It is a formal group for all clinical nurse specialists and allied professionals working in the sarcoma field (who spend a third or more of their working time with sarcoma patients). Membership is also open to nurse specialists/AHPs/key workers in academic or research roles related to sarcoma. The purpose of the NSG is to provide members with support, education and an opportunity for networking and to provide a national voice on clinical and strategic issues. (Information taken from the British Sarcoma Group Website).

For more information on the National Sarcoma Forum, please visit www.britishsarcomagroup.org.uk/nsf/

Primary bone cancer is a rare but highly malignant tumour. It is a difficult cancer for healthcare professionals to identify and can commonly present in a similar manner to other conditions, such as arthritis or growing pains.

For this reason, symptoms are often dismissed and patients can be subjected to lengthy diagnostic delays that can have a negative impact on their prognosis. Being able to recognise primary bone cancer in its early stages and increase the awareness of this cancer amongst healthcare professionals is crucial to positively impact the survival outcomes of patients.

To do so, the Bone Cancer Research Trust is supporting the training of junior doctors by funding week-long placements at a specialist sarcoma centre. As a result of this, it is hoped that more healthcare professionals will be aware of primary bone cancer, and its presentation, earlier on in the tumours progression to aid diagnosis and create a quicker route to treatment for patients.

Learn more about this project:

Hear from Mr Chandrasekar, the lead of this initiative, about why raising awareness of this form of cancer is so important by clicking here.

Read our interview with Dr Tom Oliver, one of the top-scoring junior doctors taking part in this project, on the experience he gained from the National Sarcoma Awareness Project by clicking here.

If you are a final year medical student or F1/F2 doctor interested in taking part, please contact sarcoma.awareness@rlbuht.nhs.uk with your name, designation and email contact. You will receive free e-learning resources and a link to the online questions .

The top scoring participants will be given the opportunity to take part in funded short term clinical fellowships at a regional sarcoma centre to further their knowledge on sarcomas.

The Information Standard Disclaimer

Version 2 produced September 2016
Information is currently under review (May 2020)

The authors and reviewers of this information are committed to producing reliable, accurate and up to date content reflecting the best available research evidence, and best clinical practice. We aim to provide unbiased information free from any commercial conflicts of interest. This article is for information only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions. We can answer questions about primary bone cancers, including treatments and research but we are unable to offer specific advice about individual patients. If you are worried about any symptoms please consult your doctor.

The Bone Cancer Research Trust shall hold responsibility for the accuracy of the information they publish and neither the Scheme Operator nor the Scheme Owner shall have any responsibility whatsoever for costs, losses or direct or indirect damages or costs arising from inaccuracy of information or omissions in information published on the website on behalf of the Bone Cancer Research Trust.