Delay in Diagnosis and Treatment of Bone Sarcoma-Systematic Review

Background: The problem of delay in diagnosis is significant in rare malignant tumors, such as bone sarcomas. The early detection of cancer and prompt treatment is crucial for outcomes and overall survival. A systematic review was conducted to determine the impact of delayed diagnosis on the overall survival and to identify factors that significantly affect this delay. Methods: A proportion of 36 out of 4585 articles met the inclusion criteria. Results: The average delay in diagnosis ranged from 7 weeks to 28 months. A younger age, female gender, extremity localization, and high-grade sarcomas were contributing factors to a shorter delay in diagnosis. The impact of long delays on the treatment outcomes and overall survival remains ambiguous. Although most of the analyzed papers showed worse survival in patients with a longer delay, these results were usually not statistically significant. Conclusion: Increasing oncological vigilance, educating physicians in the field of sarcoma diagnostics, and centralizing treatment are potential factors that can reduce the delay in diagnosis.