Sarcomas are rare cancers that develop in the supporting tissues of the body, which include bone, cartilage, tendons, fat and muscle.
Our sarcoma service is a regional centre that manages soft tissue sarcoma cancers, known as Midlands Abdominal and Retroperitoneal Sarcoma Unit (MARSU), with a referring population of over 11 million patients. MARSU also accepts second opinions and referrals from outside of our referring area, such as Cardiff and Manchester.
Our services include:
- surgical treatment for soft tissue sarcomas
- medical treatment for soft tissue and bone sarcomas and Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumours (GISTs), including chemotherapy and targeted therapies
- radiotherapy treatment
- specialist dietitian support
- participation in innovative research and clinical trials
- hospital based, local, national and international teaching
Our multidisciplinary team (MDT) is made up of specialist surgeons, oncologists, cancer CNS, radiologists and histopathologists. There is a weekly multidisciplinary meeting, where any scans and biopsy results are reviewed and a plan of care suggested.
Patients referred with bone sarcomas or soft tissue sarcomas of the limbs will be treated at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital (RoH). Your case will then be reviewed at the MDT meeting at RoH.
What to expect once you've been referred
Once you've been referred, you will receive an appointment to meet with your consultant. At this appointment, your consultant will ask you some questions to get some more information about you and your referral.
You'll also be seen by a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) in clinic. They will talk to you about what happens next and answer any questions or concerns you may have. The nurse will also give you their contact number, so you can get in touch with them with any questions or concerns before your treatment. Sometimes, further investigations may be needed at this appointment.
Contact details
Specialist Nursing Team
- 0121 371 6648
- PatientSarcoma@uhb.nhs.uk (for patients)
- SarcomaCNSTeam@uhb.nhs.uk (for healthcare professionals)
Appointment queries and general questions
For any appointment queries and general questions, please contact your relevant consultant’s secretary. They can be contacted Monday to Friday, 08:00 – 16:00. There is an answer phone service, and they aim to respond to messages within two working days (not including bank holidays).
Sarcoma surgical secretaries
- Professor Anant Desai's contact information
- Mr Sam Ford's contact information
- Mr Max Almond's contact information
- Mr Fabio Tirotta's contact information
Sarcoma oncology secretaries
- Dr David Peake's contact information
- Dr Jenny Sherriff's contact information
- Dr Mariam Jafri's contact information
- Dr Mohammed Roji's contact information
Acute Oncology Services (AOS)
For any patients on anti–cancer treatment who suffer from:
- a temperature of 37.5C or above
- flu-like symptoms
- shivers/chills or feel poorly
Please call the AOS 24-hour emergency helpline straight away on:
Where to find us
The Sarcoma team are based at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB).
Surgical appointments are held in Outpatients Area 2, Ground Floor, QEHB.
Oncology appointments are held in the Heritage Building.
Post-surgery nursing
- Oncology inpatients: Harborne Hospital, 6th floor
- Outpatient chemotherapy and radiotherapy: East 1a, Heritage Building
Please see the QEHB site map under "Downloads" for further details on these locations.
See also
Other websites
Last reviewed: 20 October 2025