Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the lung -  a case report

Sarcomatoid carcinoma (SARC) of the lung is a very rare and aggressive type of nonsmall cell lung cancer. It belongs to a group of poorly differentiated carcinomas with partial sarcomatoid differentiation or with a direct sarcoma component. Characteristic findings include a large tumor with an invasive tendency, early recurrence and systemic metastases.

The authors present a case of SARC in the 77-year-old patient. Preoperative staging confirmed sarcomatoid carcinoma of the lower lobe of the left lung without generalization on PET/CT. However, an infiltration of more than 2/3 of the diaphragm was ascertained. A resection was performed -  a left lower lobectomy with resection of the diaphragm and its replacement by a muscle flap made from the latissimus dorsi muscle with vascular pedicle. Histological findings confirmed the dia-gnosis of sarcomatoid (pleomorphic) carcinoma pT3N0M0. The patient underwent adjuvant chemotherapy; recurrence and systemic dissemination of the disease occurred after 20 months; the patient died 21 months after the surgery.