Orthopaedic Sarcoma

Sarcoma (Bone and Soft Tissue) Clinic

The Victorian Bone and Soft Tissue (Sarcoma) Tumour Service was originally established in 1996 as a collaborative service between St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. Since this time, it has built a national and international reputation as a tertiary referral service that provides comprehensive multidisciplinary sarcoma care. Specialist care is provided to all patients who present with bone and soft tissue tumours, and paediatric care is undertaken in collaboration with specialists from the Royal Children’s Hospital. This service receives referrals from Victoria, regional New South Wales, Tasmania, Canberra and South Australia.

The Sarcoma Service is a collaboration with clinical partners, providing coordinated and comprehensive care.

Sarcomas are cancers that affect bones or soft tissues such as muscles, nerves and other soft tissues that connect or surround joints.

The principles of care are:

Care will be delivered based on best practice.
The service delivery model is based on coordinated multidisciplinary team care.
Services will be arranged to provide ease of access and equity of care for patients, regardless of their point of entry.
Care will be planned and delivered in partnership with patients, families and carers, as appropriate.
Physical, psychosocial, spiritual and cultural needs will be addressed throughout the patient journey from screening, diagnosis and treatment to follow-up, survivorship and end-of-life phases of care.
Care delivery will emphasise coordination across the care continuum, and will recognise that care provided by the partners of the VCCC may be a part of the entire cancer journey for each patient.
Research will be integral to clinical practice (“research-led clinical practice”), and care will be evidence-based as well as evidence generating.
Education and training will be integral to clinical practice.

Our Team

Orthopaedic Oncology Surgical team:

Professor Peter Choong

Mr Gerard Powell

Mr Grant Pang

A/Prof Claudia DI Bella

Radiation Oncology:

St Vincent’s Hospital – Genesis Care:

Dr Michael Guiney

Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

Dr Sam Ngan
Dr Sarat Chander

Dr Julie Chu

Medical Oncology:

Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre:

A/Prof Jayesh Desai

Dr Jeremy Lewin

Dr Lisa Orme

Dr Anne Hamilton
Dr Stephen Luen

Sarcoma Nurse Consultants:

St Vincent’s Hospital

Mrs Deborah May

Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Ms Emma Gardner

Referral Information

For patients

We understand how stressful and difficult a bone or soft tissue tumour diagnosis can be. Your St Vincent’s team of experts are dedicated and sensitive to your individual health and wellbeing needs – we are here to help.

You will need a referral from your GP or medical practitioner to access this service. Please ensure that you bring all your test results with you when you attend for your consultation.

It is important that you bring someone else with you when you attend your consultation so that any information you hear or discuss may be accurately recorded and discussed with you after you leave.

Contact the Sarcoma Nurse Consultant if you have any questions related to your consultation.

For health professionals

Please refer as soon as possible all patients with a lump that you suspect may be a tumour. Any lump 5 cm or greater, or deep to the deep fascia, should be considered a sarcoma until proven otherwise.

Do not biopsy the lump before referral.

Do not organise for the lump to be excised before referral.

Do not base your decision about the diagnosis of the lump on an ultrasound.

Contact the Sarcoma Nurse Consultant for assistance in organising an appointment for your patient.

The St Vincent’s Specialist Clinics referral template: Specialist Clinics Referral Form

Further resources:

Bone Cancer

Soft Tissue Cancer

Sarcoma Treatment

Clinic Times

We run the following clinics:

St Vincent’s Hospital – Monday 9:30 to 12:00.
Peter MacCallum – Wednesday 9:30 to 12:30

Location:

St Vincent’s Hospital

Cancer Centre

Building D – Daly Wing, Level 1

35 Victoria Parade
Fitzroy Vic 3065

View on Google Maps

New patients are seen in a timely manner and may be required to undertake a series of staging studies including biopsy prior to consultation.

Your ongoing care at St Vincent’s may include referral to Peter MacCallum depending on your diagnosis and treatment path.

Patients undergoing treatment will be scheduled for appropriate outpatient follow up during their treatment.

Post-treatment patients will be scheduled for regular review according to an individualised treatment plan. The Sarcoma Service works closely with primary care and specialist referrers to share post-treatment surveillance.

Resources

Below is a list of resources for our patients to access at home.
If you require any additional information, please speak with your Sarcoma Nurse Consultant to provide you with information, tailored to your needs.