New quality standards for rare cancer and lung disorder
NICE has issued 2 quality standards for care of people with sarcoma and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis to ensure they have access to the right health and social care professionals.
Sarcoma describes a rare group of cancers that develop in the cells responsible for supporting body tissues and organs. They can affect almost any part of the body and are grouped as either soft tissue (e.g. skin, muscle, blood vessels, nerves and fat) or bone sarcoma.
Figures show over 3,800 people were diagnosed with sarcoma in 2010.
Sarcomas are rare, so most healthcare professionals will see few cases in their working lives. The new standard includes 6 statements that focus on making sure that people with sarcoma are treated by healthcare professionals experienced in managing their condition. This includes ensuring that care plans for people with bone sarcoma and adults with soft tissue sarcoma are confirmed by a specialist sarcoma multidisciplinary team even if care will be delivered by other services.
The standard encourages sarcoma teams to publicise information on their expertise for treating the different types of condition to help other healthcare professionals decide where they will refer patients. …more
Quality standard for sarcoma
Quality standard for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis