Primary Sarcomas and Other Sarcomatoid Tumors of the Bladder

Abstract

Primary adult bladder sarcoma and sarcomatoid carcinoma (formerly carcinosarcoma) are both rare types of malignancy occurring in the urinary bladder. Bladder sarcoma fits into the broad category of soft tissue sarcoma, a term used to describe a heterogeneous group of malignancies derived from cells of mesenchymal origin. Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the bladder is a group of rare biphasic tumors that contains an epithelial component adjacent to a mesenchymal component. Although these tumors are widely considered to have a poor prognosis, the body of literature is limited to case reports and small, single institutional series. Because of their rarity, there is no consensus on the optimal management of these tumors. In this review, we aim to provide an overview of the epidemiology, clinical features, treatment, and prognostic significance of primary adult sarcoma and sarcomatoid tumors of the urinary bladder.