Lung carcinosarcoma

Lung carcinosarcomas are uncommon malignant biphasic tumors classified as a subtype of sarcomatoid tumors of the lung. 

Epidemiology

It is rare and thought to account for <1% of all lung cancers. There may be a greater male predilection with tumor generally occurring heavy smokers with peak occurrence between the 5^th to 8^th decades of life ¹.

Pathology

It is defined by coexisting histologic elements of carcinomatous (typically squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma) and sarcomatous components (eg. rhabdomyosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, and osteosarcoma).

Genetics

• TP53 mutations are often present ⁴
• KRAS mutations are less frequent ⁴
• EGFR mutations are very uncommon ⁴

Treatment and prognosis

Overall prognosis is generally considered poor ¹. Some authors suggest carcinomatous portion tending to metastasize to regional lymph nodes whereas the sarcomatous part favoring systemic dissemination ².