Assessing Sarcoma Awareness Among the General Population in Minnesota: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study from the Minnesota State Fair in 2015 and 2022

Sarcomas are commonly misdiagnosed, and treatment delays negatively impact patient outcomes. The purpose of this study is to explore patient threshold for and timeline to medical evaluation, to identify providers most likely to be contacted first, and to assess general sarcoma knowledge in Minnesota's general population. Voluntary participants were recruited at the 2015 and 2022 Minnesota State Fair to complete a three-part survey. Part 1 assessed evaluation timeline and provider choice, part 2 evaluated sarcoma knowledge via a ten-question survey, and part 3 documented demographics. Responses were electronically recorded, and results were tabulated. Overall, 2124 participants completed some or all of the survey. Part 1: Participants indicated they would seek more urgent treatment for a painful mass compared to a non-painful mass (p