Carcinosarcoma of the Lung Report of Two Cases and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Two cases of carcinosarcoma of the lung are presented. Until now, 76 cases have been recorded in the literature. The lesion contains an epithelial and a mesenchymal component, both with cytologic features of malignancy. A central endobronchial and a peripheral invasive type have been described. Fiberoptic biopsies usually show no tumour at all or contain only one of the two components. Treatment consists of lobectomy or pneumonectomy. Prognosis is not better for this tumour than for non-small cell bronchogenic carcinoma, and may even be worse.

A resected case of combined small cell lung carcinoma with carcinosarcoma

“…According to the WHO classification (2004), our patient was diagnosed with 'combined small cell carcinoma with carcinosarcoma.' A review of carcinosarcoma written by A. Hereman et al 1 in 1989 showed that there were no reports of small cell carcinoma with a carcinomatous component. In 2010, Hamai et al 2 circumstantially reviewed 77 pulmonary carcinosarcoma cases that had been reported over the past 20 years and found only six cases containing carcinosarcoma and small cell carcinoma, including their own case.…”

“…Daisuke Noma, 1 Takao Morohoshi, 1 Hiroyuki Adachi, 1 Ichirou Natsume, 2 Minoru Ookouchi, 2 Yukio Tsuura, 3 Masahiro Tsuboi 4…”

Biphasic Tumors of the Lung

“…In addition, some workers have documented the spread of the tumor to regional lymph nodes, with both components present. 72,77 Although it is easy to dismiss cases in which the "sarcomatous" component was that of the fibrosarcoma type, 78 cases in which the sarcomatous component is of the heterologous type, such as malignant bone, cartilage, or striated muscle, are more problematic. [79][80][81][82] Nevertheless, some investigators explain the presence of malignant bone, cartilage, or muscle as reflecting divergent differentiation "committed" to mesenchymal tissues and prefer to categorize these tumors as biphasic sarcomatoid carcinomas.…”

Lung carcinosarcoma as a rare biphasic sarcomatoid carcinoma: a case report

“…The rate of reversibility ranged from 87-93 % [8]. Adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy can be considered in selected cases.…”