Pulmonary Sarcomatoid carcinoma: a surgical diagnosis and prognostic factors

Abstract

Introduction: Pulmonary Sarcomatoid Carcinoma (PSC) is a rare group of tumors accounting for about 0.4% of non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Five subtypes were described: pleomorphic carcinoma, spindle cell carcinoma, carcinosarcoma, giant cell carcinoma and pulmonary blastoma. The diagnosis is pathological but requires a good quality sampling of the tumor.

Methods: On a series of 1582 patients operated on for lung cancer from 1992 to 2016, 43 patients were retrospectively identified as having been treated surgically for pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma.

Results: The population consisted of 33 males and 10 females with mean age of 55 years. Imaging findings showed a peripheral mass in the majority of cases (n=29). Careful investigation failed to discover a primitive lesion elsewhere. Six patients received induction therapy for wall involvement. Lobectomy or bilobectomy was performed in 30 patients and pneumonectomy in 11 patients. A wedge resection was performed in one patient and an exploratory thoracotomy in another. In macroscopy, the mean tumor's size was 5.2 cm (1-17.5cm). The histologic diagnoses were: pleomorphic carcinoma (n=30), carcinosarcoma (n=5), spindle cell carcinoma (n=1), giant cell carcinoma (n=3) and blastoma (n=4). Two patients died within 1 month of surgical complications and 5 died of disease within 17 months. Adjuvant therapy was performed in 6 patients. Recurrence happened in 4 patients within 12 months after operation. Median survival for all patients was 8months.

Conclusions: Resection of primary pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma is associated with an acceptable survival rate if the resection is complete. The size of the tumor is the most important prognosis factor. Nevertheless, a carefully follow-up is essential.