Quality standard

Quality statement 4: Retroperitoneal sarcoma

Quality statement

People with a retroperitoneal sarcoma are referred before having any treatment to a sarcoma treatment centre with special expertise in managing this type of tumour.

Rationale

Treating retroperitoneal sarcomas poses particular challenges, and experience of treating this tumour type will vary between sarcoma treatment centres. Outcomes for people with retroperitoneal sarcoma will be improved by concentrating their treatment at centres with staff who are experienced in managing this type of tumour.

Quality measures

Structure

Evidence of local arrangements and protocols to ensure that people with a retroperitoneal sarcoma are referred before having any treatment to a sarcoma treatment centre with special expertise in managing this type of tumour.

Data source: Local data collection.

Process

Proportion of people with a retroperitoneal sarcoma who are referred before having any treatment to a sarcoma treatment centre with special expertise in managing this type of tumour.

Numerator – the number in the denominator who are referred before having any treatment to a sarcoma treatment centre with special expertise in managing this type of tumour.

Denominator – the number of people with a retroperitoneal sarcoma.

Data source: Local data collection.

Outcome

Retroperitoneal sarcoma survival rate.

Data source: Local data collection.

What the quality statement means for different audiences

Service providers (such as such as hospitals, sarcoma multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) and cancer MDTs) ensure that protocols are in place to refer people with a retroperitoneal sarcoma before they have any treatment to an identified treatment centre with special expertise in treating this type of sarcoma.

Healthcare professionals ensure that they refer people with retroperitoneal sarcoma before they have any treatment to a treatment centre with special expertise in treating this type of sarcoma.

Commissioners (NHS England Sarcoma Clinical Reference Group) may wish to consider including a definition for retroperitoneal sarcoma centres with special expertise in national service specifications. Clinical commissioning groups ensure that they commission services that have protocols in place to refer people with a retroperitoneal sarcoma before they have any treatment to an identified treatment centre with special expertise in treating this type of sarcoma.

People with retroperitoneal sarcoma (a rare type of cancer that develops in the soft tissues of the abdomen or pelvis) are referred to a centre that has special expertise in treating this type of sarcoma before being offered any treatment.

Source guidance

Improving outcomes for people with sarcoma. NICE guideline CSG9 (2006), Section 7: Improving treatment: soft tissue sarcomas (page 73)

Definitions of terms used in this quality statement

Sarcoma treatment centre with special expertise in managing this type of tumour

Treatment centres with special expertise in treating retroperitoneal sarcoma should be identified locally by taking into account case volumes and patient outcomes for retroperitoneal sarcoma. [Definition developed from expert consensus]

Equality and diversity considerations

When referring people to a sarcoma treatment centre, potential difficulties in access such as travelling distance, age, disability or financial barriers should be taken into account.