EVALUATION AND INVESTIGATION OF THE PATIENT WITH A SUSPECTED BONE OR SOFT-TISSUE TUMOUR

EVALUATION AND INVESTIGATION OF THE PATIENT WITH A SUSPECTED BONE OR SOFT-TISSUE TUMOUR

The diagnosis and treatment of patients with primary bone and/or soft-tissue tumours requires a high index of suspicion, appropriate and prompt investigation, and early referral to a specialist multidisciplinary team for diagnosis, biopsy and appropriate treatment. When a musculoskeletal tumour is suspected, clinicians should: /uni25CF stop; /uni25CF think; /uni25CF investigate. bone or soft-tissue tumour can be divided into three phases. The first two phases can be performed at the referring hospi tal, but the third phase may be best done in a specialist centre ( Table 42.5 ). /uni25CF /uni25CF /uni25CF /uni25CF /uni25CF /uni25CF /uni25CF /uni25CF /uni25CF /uni25CF

TABLE 42.5 The three phases of assessment of lesions. Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 (within 24 hours) (within /f_i rst week) (at specialist centre) History and Bone scan CT scan lesion examination Ultrasound scan MRI scan lesion abdomen Blood tests Biopsy Radiograph CT scan chest whole bone Chest radiograph CT, computed tomography; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging.