[Sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma. A rare and aggressive variation of primary renal cell carcinoma]

Urologe A. 2007 Apr;46(4):406-11. doi: 10.1007/s00120-006-1249-6.
[Article in German]

Abstract

Every year, renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is responsible for the highest proportion of cancer-associated deaths in relation to all other malignant urological diseases. Initially called carcinosarcoma, the sarcomatoid differentiation confers higher aggressiveness on any of the different subtypes of RCC, with a frequency of ca. 1%. The presence of a sarcomatoid component makes the disease locally aggressive, which typically presents an advanced grade that is associated with fast progression and fatal outcome in a vast proportion of cases, with median survival lower than 1 year. This is important for predicting the outcome for patients undergoing nephrectomy due to RCC, since chemotherapy in a certain group of patients with progressive disease can be a reasonable alternative to the failure of immunotherapy in sarcomatoid renal carcinoma. We report our experience with sarcomatoid RCC in four patients with extensive tumor progression in comparison to the literature.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / classification*
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / diagnosis*
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Kidney Neoplasms / classification*
  • Kidney Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Rare Diseases / diagnosis
  • Sarcoma / classification*
  • Sarcoma / diagnosis*