Local MP is lending his support to a national charity which is seeking to highlight rare cancers

Justin Madders, MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston and formerly Shadow Minister for Health and Social Care, is meeting with representatives of Sarcoma UK to discuss the work the charity is doing to improve the speed at which sarcoma cancer is diagnosed.

Mr Madders is keen to support Sarcoma UK on improving sarcoma diagnosis and helping give every single person with sarcoma to have the best chance of survival.

Sarcomas are uncommon cancers that can affect any part of the body, on the inside or outside, including the muscle, bone, tendons, blood vessels and fatty tissues. There are around 100 different sub-types of sarcoma.

Fifteen people are diagnosed with sarcoma every day in the UK, equivalent to about 5,300 people a year. The later a sarcoma is diagnosed, the less likely someone is to survive.

According to the charity, Sarcoma patients face hurdles at almost every stage of their diagnosis, from GP awareness, scanning, delays and getting referred to a specialist centre. Initial diagnosis is often inaccurate and compared to other more common cancers, fewer treatment options are available. This means that currently only 55 per cent of sarcoma patients live beyond five years.

Sarcoma UK says it is essential that if you have any of the signs and symptoms of sarcoma you contact your GP. These are:

• A lump which is growing, changing, or bigger than a golf ball
• Swelling, tenderness or pain in or around the bone which may come and go and may be worse at night
• Stomach pain, feeling sick, loss of appetite or feeling full after eating only a small amount of food
• Blood in either your poo or vomit.

Mr Madders said: “It’s unbelievable that only 25% of people know what sarcoma is and I’m proud to work with Sarcoma UK to help spread awareness of this rare cancer.

“It is also clear to see that more needs to be done to improve the speed and accuracy at which sarcoma is diagnosed so that patients have the best possible chance of survival.

“It’s great to see this charity raising public awareness about sarcoma and its symptoms, while funding vital research into better treatments and supporting patients and loved ones through their Sarcoma UK Support Line.”

Richard Davidson, chief executive officer of Sarcoma UK, said: “Early diagnosis is one of the key drivers for improving survival, and through discussions with supporters and clinicians, academic research and survey results, we have so far found three key challenges to diagnosis: public awareness, healthcare professional awareness, and the diagnostic pathway.”

Sarcoma UK funds vital research, offers support for anyone affected by sarcoma cancer and campaigns for better treatments. It is the only cancer charity in the UK focusing on all types of sarcoma.