Sarcomatoid carcinoma, sometimes referred to as pleomorphic carcinoma, is a relatively uncommon form of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

whose malignant cells have histological, cytological, or molecular properties of both

epithelial Epithelium or epithelial tissue is a thin, continuous, protective layer of cells with little extracellular matrix. An example is the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. Epithelial ( mesothelial) tissues line the outer surfaces of man ...

tumors ("

carcinoma Carcinoma is a malignancy that develops from epithelial cells. Specifically, a carcinoma is a cancer that begins in a tissue that lines the inner or outer surfaces of the body, and that arises from cells originating in the endodermal, mesoder ...

") and

mesenchymal Mesenchyme () is a type of loosely organized animal embryonic connective tissue of undifferentiated cells that give rise to most tissues, such as skin, blood, or bone. The interactions between mesenchyme and epithelium help to form nearly ever ...

tumors ("

sarcoma A sarcoma is a rare type of cancer that arises from cells of mesenchymal origin. Originating from mesenchymal cells means that sarcomas are cancers of connective tissues such as bone, cartilage, muscle, fat, or vascular tissues. Sarcom ...

"). It is believed that sarcomatoid carcinomas develop from more common forms of epithelial tumors.

Types

Sarcomatoid carcinoma is a type of rare lung tumour under the category of poorly differentiated

Non-small-cell lung carcinoma Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), or non-small-cell lung carcinoma, is any type of epithelial lung cancer other than small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). NSCLC accounts for about 85% of all lung cancers. As a class, NSCLCs are relatively insensitiv ...

(NSCLC). Based on its histological characteristics, it can be classified into giant cell carcinoma (almost completely consists of giant cells),

spindle cell carcinoma Spindle cell carcinoma is a type of cancer that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover internal organs In a multicellular organism, an organ is a collection of tissues joined in a structural unit to serve a common function. In the ...

(almost completely consists of spindle cells), pleomorphic carcinoma (at least 10% spindle/giant cells or consists of giant and spindle cells only),

carcinosarcoma Carcinosarcomas are malignant tumors that consist of a Mixed tumor, mixture of carcinoma (or epithelial cancer) and sarcoma (or mesenchymal/connective tissue cancer). Carcinosarcomas are rare tumors, and can arise in diverse organs, such as the ski ...

(mix of NSCLC and true sarcoma), and biphasic pulmonary blastoma (consists of embryonal type epithelial element and primitive mesenchymal stroma).

Locations

Sarcomatoid carcinomas have been identified in the small intestine in rare cases. They may have epithelioid and mesenchymal properties or be composed only of mesenchymal-type

spindle cells Von Economo neurons, also called spindle neurons, are a specific class of mammalian cortical neurons characterized by a large spindle-shaped soma (or body) gradually tapering into a single apical axon (the ramification that ''transmits'' si ...

, and are negative for

CD117 Proto-oncogene c-KIT is the gene encoding the receptor tyrosine kinase protein known as tyrosine-protein kinase KIT, CD117 ( cluster of differentiation 117) or mast/stem cell growth factor receptor (SCFR). Multiple transcript variants encoding d ...

and DOG1. Some cases of sacromatoid carcinoma of the

larynx The larynx (), commonly called the voice box, is an organ (anatomy), organ in the top of the neck involved in breathing, producing sound and protecting the trachea against food aspiration. The opening of larynx into pharynx known as the laryngeal ...

are resistant to

radiotherapy Radiation therapy or radiotherapy (RT, RTx, or XRT) is a treatment using ionizing radiation, generally provided as part of cancer therapy to either kill or control the growth of malignant cells. It is normally delivered by a linear particle ...

Epidemiology

This type of tumour have less than 1% incidence of all primary

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...

s. Primary lung tumours originated from the tissues of the lung, not

metastasized Metastasis is a pathogenic agent's spreading from an initial or primary site to a different or secondary site within the host's body; the term is typically used when referring to metastasis by a cancerous tumor. The newly pathological sites, ...

from other locations in the body.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sarcomatoid Carcinoma Carcinoma