[Health care circuit for patients with soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities. A tortuous and slow road to referral units].

OBJECTIVE To analyse the waiting periods elapsed since soft tissue sarcomas become symptomatic until their specific treatment in our unit, and to determine new strategies for the improvement of referral circuits. MATERIAL AND METHODS This is an ambispective observational study of a cohort of 61 patients, with previously untreated soft tissue sarcomas, obtained from our Musculoskeletal Tumors Database. Several variables related to the patient, tumour, and health care circuit were analysed, as well as the different periods between the initial symptoms of the disease and the first consultation in our unit. The significance level was α=0.05. RESULTS The mean size of the sarcomas was 11.3 cm. Thirty-six patients (59%) followed the usual circuit of the National Health System in Spain. The time elapsed since the disease became symptomatic until the first medical consultation was greater than 9.5 months, and nearly another 8.5 months to the consultation in our specific unit. Statistically significant relationships were found between the independent and dependent variables. DISCUSSION The study shows that the care of patients with soft tissue sarcomas in our environment is far away from the times of care in our neighbouring countries. CONCLUSIONS It is essential to make the population and health professionals aware of this disease, as well as to remember that there is a referral circuit that must be used.