Burgeoning healthcare costs in the United States have quickly become a powerful impetus for legislation targeted at increasing efficiency, quality, and access, while simultaneously reducing expenditures. It is projected that by 2018, Medicare/Medicaid spending will approach $4.5 trillion, accounting for 20% of the national gross domestic product. Increasing costs have been attributed to numerous factors, including a growing epidemic of medico‐legal litigation. One area of cancer medicine with persistent patterns of delay in diagnosis and unintended procedures leading to increased cost, decreased quality, or a rising incidence of adverse outcomes is bone and soft tissue sarcomas.

Given the paucity of literature addressing the medico‐legal consequences specifically stemming from sarcoma care, the authors set out to enhance sarcoma awareness education by addressing two things. First, they sought to describe the demographic context in which sarcoma claims were filed. Second, they sought to evaluate which physician subspecialties are at risk for litigation. To learn more, click here.