Patients with soft tissue tumors referred to TBH

It is widely acknowledged that multidisciplinary management of soft tissue sarcomas (STS) in expert centers improves oncological outcomes (J-Y Blay et al, 2017). Ideally all patients with STS should be reviewed at a MDT before any definitive treatment is undertaken.

All stable referrals of patients with soft tissue masses from outside Tygerberg Hospital should be sent to email: softtissueclinictbh@gmail.com where all relevant results will be reviewed by the medical officer in the breast and endocrine clinic. All referring clinics and hospitals will be advised to send email referral letters with all relevant results.

For stable patients with a confirmed histological diagnosis of a soft tissue sarcoma or desmoid tumor on core/ incision/ excision biopsy (not spindle cell tumor on FNA) performed outside of TBH the MO will forward the referring email to the Radiation Onoclogy consultant, Dr Burger (henrietteburger@sun.ac.za), who will contact the referring doctor with an appointment for the X-block Sarcoma MDT (Wednesday’s at 8:00) for multidisciplinary review. If appropriate Dr Burger will
instruct the referring center to perform relevant staging investigations before attending the MDT. At the MDT, any further investigations will be discussed and the patient referred as appropriate.

For patients with a soft tissue tumor without a clear diagnosis of malignancy an appointment will be arranged by the MO for the 5th floor breast and endocrine SOPD where a clinical examination and appropriate biopsy will be performed. Once a histological diagnosis of a soft tissue sarcoma is made, the MO will arrange an appointment at the X-block Sarcoma MDT (Wednesday’s at 8:00) for multidisciplinary review.

Patients who are unstable or who require immediate surgical attention/ intervention for their soft tissue sarcoma (suspected or proven) should be discussed urgently with the on call surgical registrar for breast and endocrine surgery