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<p>The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’ details
how the National Health Service will reduce the time taken to diagnose cancer, including
sarcoma cancer. The plan aims to return the number of people waiting more than 62
days from an urgent referral for cancer to pre-pandemic levels by March 2023. By March
2024, 75% of patients who have been urgently referred by their general practitioner
(GP) for suspected cancer will be diagnosed or have cancer ruled out within 28 days.</p><p>The
NHS is raising awareness of cancer symptoms through the ‘Help us help you’ campaign
and locally tailored approaches to increase the number of referrals from GPs. We are
investing £2.3 billion to establish up to 160 community diagnostic centres (CDCs)
by March 2025. CDCs will provide additional capacity for tests which can assist the
diagnosis of sarcoma cancer, such as ultrasounds, magnetic resonance imaging and biopsies.
Since July 2021, existing CDCs have provided over 650,000 additional tests.</p><p>Those
diagnosed with sarcoma and with a family history or risk factors can access genomic
tests to aid early diagnosis and treatment options. There are also specialist soft
tissue sarcoma cancer centres and specialist bone sarcoma centres in England. These
centres accept referrals for patients with suspected diagnoses from genomics results
or primary or acute care.</p>
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