Launch of the UKAOS MUO Emergency Presentation Report (June 2026)

The UK Acute Oncology Society (UKAOS) Malignancy of Defined Origin (MUO) Subgroup is proud to launch its national Emergency Presentation of Cancer Report (June 2026), a landmark benchmarking survey study mapping how patients with suspected MUO enter and move through acute care pathways across the UK.

Based on responses from 144 clinicians across 100 NHS organisations, the report provides the most comprehensive picture to date of MUO emergency pathways, highlighting both the strengths of Acute Oncology Services (AOS) and the critical gaps impacting patient outcomes and experience.

Why this matters?

Patients presenting as emergencies with MUO often have advanced disease, high symptom burden, and poorer outcomes. Yet many enter a system characterised by fragmented pathways, unclear ownership, and diagnostic delay.

Key findings

• AOS is widely established (97.9%), but only 31.7% of services operate 7 days a week, limiting timely access to specialist input.
• Just over half of organisations (53.8%) have an outpatient MUO service, and use of NSS/NSRDS diagnostics remains inconsistent.
• Variation is significant across referral pathways, training, and governance, contributing to inequity in patient experience and outcomes.
• MUO care is often delivered by AOS “by default rather than by design”, placing unsustainable pressure on acute services.

What the report tells us

The findings are clear: this is not a gap in commitment, it is a gap in system design.
Current models do not adequately support the diagnostic complexity and continuity MUO patients require, resulting in pathways that are unstructured, variably governed, and inconsistent across the UK.

UKAOS recommendations:

The report sets out a clear direction for national improvement:

• Development of national MUO standards aligned with NICE guidance
• A partnership model of care, bringing together acute services, diagnostics, site-specific teams, and specialist MUO expertise
• Greater clarity on ownership, governance, and accountability within pathways

UKAOS will now lead the next phase of work, including a national stakeholder event to shape future MUO service models and ensure a more consistent, equitable approach across the UK.

Moving forward

This report represents a critical step towards defining what good looks like for MUO emergency pathways. By addressing variation and strengthening coordination, we can improve outcomes and experience for some of the most vulnerable patients in cancer care.

Access the full report : FINAL_UKAOS_MUO_Report_June26_.pdf

Survey data set: UKAOS_MUO_Questionnaire_Data_Responses_FINAL_2025.pdf

High level report: Nation_survey_High_level_report.pdf

UKAOS presented this work at the 2026 UKOF in Harrogate you can access a PDF of the presentation slides here