North of England Bone and Soft Tissue Tumour Service
Contact: (0191) 223 1202 - Clinical Nurse Specialist Karen Fisher
The North of England Bone and Soft Tissue Tumour Service is run from the Freeman Hospital and the Royal Victoria Infirmary. It provides the highest level of expertise and specialised care for both adults and children with this complex form of cancer (also known as sarcoma).
We are one of only five centres in England funded for the investigation and surgical treatment of primary bone tumours by the National Specialist Commissioning Group. Most of our patients come from the North East of England, Cumbria and Yorkshire, but we are happy to take referrals from elsewhere.
Our service is run by a multi-disciplinary team of highly skilled clinicians including orthopaedic surgeons, plastic and general surgeons who work closely with specialists from oncology (chemotherapy and radiotherapy), radiology (x-ray and scans) and pathology (tests and investigations) teams meeting weekly to ensure that you benefit from the most appropriate treatment tailored to your specific needs.
How to make a referral if you are a doctor
Download and complete our referral form.
We are pleased to receive referrals for new patients with suspected bone or soft tissue tumours by any route, but fax is preferred.
Patients with a palpable lump that meets any of the following criteria:
• Increasing in size
• Painful
• Deep to the fascia
• Greater than 5 cm in diameter
• Recurring after previous excision
Should be referred under the 2 week rule.
Patients with x-rays which are suspicious of a malignant or aggressive process should also be referred under the 2 week rule.
Patients with undiagnosed bony pain should receive an x-ray. If the x-ray is normal but pain persists, consider following up and repeating the x-ray, performing bone function tests or making a non-urgent referral.
Members of the team are happy to discuss cases by telephone.
Our fax number is 0191 223 1328
What to expect as a patient
We receive many referrals for patients with suspected bone and soft tissue tumours. Many patients who we see do not have cancer, but we believe it is important to see anyone who might have a bone or soft tissue tumour promptly to investigate their symptoms.
Patients who are referred to the Service may be seen by any one of the specialists in the team at either the Freeman Hospital or the Royal Victoria Infirmary. We can often offer new patients an ultrasound scan on their first clinic visit, so you should be prepared to wait. Some patients are also offered a biopsy (the taking of a sample of tissue with a needle) in the clinic.
If you are concerned that you might have a bone or soft tissue tumour, you should see your General Practitioner promptly and ask to be referred.
