"Two-week waits" - Are they leading to earlier diagnosis of soft-tissue sarcomas?

Abstract

Introduction. The two-week wait was established as a potential means of diagnosing malignant tumours earlier. This paper investigated whether these clinics are leading to earlier diagnosis of malignant soft-tissue lumps. Method. We identified all referrals to our centre from a database over a 4-year period. Results. 2225 patients were referred to our unit for investigation of a soft-tissue mass. 576 (26) were referred under the two-week wait criteria. 153 (27) of which were found to have a malignant or borderline malignant diagnosis. 1649 patients were referred nonurgently. 855 (52) of which were diagnosed with a malignant or borderline lesion. The average size at diagnosis was 9.4cm with no difference in size between the different referral routes. Conclusion. There is little evidence that the two-week wait clinic is leading to earlier diagnosis of soft-tissue sarcomas with the majority still being referred nonurgently. Copyright © 2010 W. St. J. Taylor et al.