Sarcomas are cancers that affect bones or soft tissues such as muscles, nerves and other soft tissues that connect or surround joints.
Like all Peter Mac’s tumour streams, the Sarcoma Service is a collaboration with clinical partners, providing coordinated and comprehensive cancer care.
The Victorian Bone and Soft Tissue (Sarcoma) Tumour Service was originally established in 1996 as a collaborative service between Peter Mac and St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne. Since this time, it has built a national and international reputation as a tertiary referral service that provides comprehensive multidisciplinary sarcoma care. Specialist care is provided to all patients who present with bone and soft tissue tumours, and paediatric care is undertaken in collaboration with specialists from the Royal Children’s Hospital. This service receives referrals from Victoria, regional New South Wales, Tasmania, Canberra and South Australia.
The principles of care are:
- Care will be delivered based on best practice.
- The service delivery model is based on coordinated multidisciplinary team care.
- Services will be arranged to provide ease of access and equity of care for patients, regardless of their point of entry.
- Care will be planned and delivered in partnership with patients, families and carers, as appropriate.
- Services will be arranged to ensure that critical mass is achieved as best as possible.
- Physical, psychosocial, spiritual and cultural needs will be addressed throughout the patient journey from screening, diagnosis and treatment to follow-up, survivorship and end-of-life phases of care.
- Care delivery will emphasise coordination across the care continuum, and will recognise that care provided by the partners of the VCCC may be a part of the entire cancer journey for each patient.
- Research will be integral to clinical practice (“research-led clinical practice”), and care will be evidence-based as well as evidence generating.
- Education and training will be integral to clinical practice.
Partners
Diseases
Related experts
Clinics
We run the following clinics:
- Peter Mac – Wednesday 9:30 to 12:30
- St Vincent’s Hospital – Monday 9:30 to 12:30.
New patients are seen in a timely manner and may be required to undertake a series of staging studies including biopsy prior to consultation.
Patients undergoing treatment will be scheduled for appropriate outpatient follow up during their treatment.
Post-treatment patients will be scheduled for regular review according to an individualised treatment plan. The Sarcoma Service works closely with primary care and specialist referrers to share post-treatment surveillance.
Clinical Trials
We have a strong focus on clinical trials to enable us to improve care for not only our patients but all patients with sarcoma. Every cancer patient is at the heart of what we do. Dedicated to you, we commit and pursue state-of-the-art research that we take from bench to bedside and beyond.
If you are interested in joining a clinical trial, speak to your cancer specialist.
For a full list of clinical trials we offer, visit our looking for a clinical trial page.
Referrals
For patients
We understand how stressful and difficult cancer can be. Your Peter Mac team of experts are dedicated and sensitive to your individual health and wellbeing needs – we are here to help.
You will need a referral from your GP or medical practitioner to access this service. Please ensure that you bring all your test results with you when you attend for your consultation.
It is important that you bring someone else with you when you attend your consultation so that any information you hear or discuss may be accurately recorded and discussed with you after you leave.
Contact the Sarcoma Nurse Consultant if you have any questions related to your consultation.
For health professionals
Please refer as soon as possible all patients with a lump that you suspect may be a tumour. Any lump 5 cm or greater, or deep to the deep fascia, should be considered a sarcoma until proven otherwise.
Do not biopsy the lump before referral.
Do not organise for the lump to be excised before referral.
Do not base your decision about the diagnosis of the lump on an ultrasound.
Contact the Sarcoma Nurse Consultant for assistance in organising an appointment for your patient.
Visit the referrals page for further information.
