A Patient with Pulmonary Spindle Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Background. Pulmonary spindle cell carcinoma is a rare lung cancer which was first classified in 1999 by the World Health Organization (WHO). Case. A 70-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of bloody sputum, right-side chest and back pain, and an abnormal lung shadow. He was originally given a diagnosis of poorly differentiated non-small cell lung carcinoma based on cytology. The tumor had invaded the bones, and the patient received radiotherapy and chemotherapy, both of which were ineffective. The cancer progressed and he died 5 months later. An autopsy revealed that the cancer was sarcomatoid carcinoma (subgroup, spindle cell carcinoma) according to the 2004 WHO classification of tumors. It was difficult to distinguish the carcinoma from sarcomatoid mesothelioma by pathological examination alone. Initial chest computed tomography had showed a lung mass that led to the diagnosis of sarcomatoid carcinoma. The cause directly leading to his death was respiratory failure caused by diffuse alveolar damage. Conclusion. Pulmonary spindle cell carcinoma is believed to have a poor prognosis and is sometimes difficult to distinguish from sarcomatoid mesothelioma. Additional study of cases is needed to confirm this disease entity and to develop better treatments.