Pulmonary Carcinosarcoma is a Rare Cancer with a Poor Prognosis – A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Pulmonary carcinosarcoma (PCS) is a rare malignant mixed tumor characterized by a biphasic histopathological pattern of both epithelial and sarcomatous components. It is estimated to account for less than 1% of all pulmonary neoplasms, and patients are predominantly elderly, male, and smokers. The biological behavior and clinicopathological characteristics of PCS are not well documented. This study aimed to address this research gap. This retrospective study included eight patients with a pathologically confirmed diagnosis of PCS. All the patients had a large solid lung tumor, ranging in diameter from 3.5 to 21.5 cm. Six patients had central lesions and two had peripheral lesions. The clinical presentations depended on the localization of the tumor and included mainly cough, dyspnea, and hemoptysis. Complete resection was performed in seven patients. PCS has a highly aggressive nature and a propensity for frequent metastasis, resulting in a poor prognosis and short survival times, ranging between 6 months to 1 year. The use of neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemo-radiotherapy is controversial and not considered fully effective. Surgical lung resection is considered the most effective therapy for this tumor, but even then, survival rates are very low. PCS is a rare and aggressive form of cancer that is difficult to treat. More research is needed to develop better treatments for this disease.