Sarcomatoid carcinomas of the urinary tract: clinical and pathological characteristics

Abstract

Objective To investigate the clinical and pathological characteristics of urocpithelial sarcomatoid carcinoma of the urinary system,and improve the diagnosis and treatment of these tumors.Methods We reviewed the pathology comfirmed urinary system caicinoma at the General Hospital of PLA from January 1999 to December 2010 and analyzed the clinical and pathological data of cases with sarcomatoid carcinoma in them retrospectively according to the literatures. Results A total of 4386 urinary system carcinoma were comfirmed,among them 18 (0.41％) cases of sarcomatoid carcinoma were identified,including 13 from bladder,4 from ureter and 1 multiple neoplasm of pelvis and ureter.The patients,11 males and 7 female,had a median age of 63.3 years (41-84 yrs).Gross hematuria (18 cases) were the main presenting symptoms,3 with flank pain,4 with pollakisuria,urgency and dysuria (urinary irritation symptoms] and 5 with urinary obstruction.The patient with multiple neoplasm of pelvis and ureter received allograft renal transplantation 7 years ago and took anti-rejection drugs all the way after operation.17 patients underwent surgical resection,9 radical cystectomy,5 radical nephroureterectomy,3 partial cystectomy and the remain was biopsy.Tumor size ranged from 2.5 to 12 cm (median,5.6 cm).Microscopically,coexisting high grade urothelial carcinoma was present in all the 18 cases,12 with sarcomatoid differentiation,3 with sarcomatoid and squamous carcinoma differentiation and 3 with sarcomatoid and glandular differentiation.Sarcomatoid component occupied 10 -90 percent.Immunohistochemical testing showed the sarcomatoid cells were positive for cytokeratin (CK) and vimentin.12 patients died of disease 20 days to 42 months (median,5.3 months) postoperatively.3 patients have been surviving with tumor free for 3,3 and 17 months respectinely,and the other 3 was failure to be followed. Conclusions Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the urinary bladder is a highly malignant disease,and the prognosis is very poor.The diagnosis depends on histopathologic and immunohistochemical studies.Early diagnosis and cystectomy or nephroureterectomy together with chemotherapy/radiotherapy may improve the curative effect. Key words: Urothelial carcinoma; Sarcomatoid carcinoma; Diagnosis; Treatment