Prostate gland & seminal vesicles
Acinar / ductal adenocarcinoma
Sarcomatoid carcinoma
Author: Komal Arora, M.D.
Topic Completed: 1 March 2012
Minor changes: 2 December 2020
Copyright: 2003-2021, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed search: prostate sarcomatoid carcinoma
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Microscopic (histologic) description | Microscopic (histologic) images | Positive stains | Negative stains | Differential diagnosis | Additional referencesCite this page: Arora K. Sarcomatoid carcinoma. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/prostatecarcinosarcoma.html. Accessed January 24th, 2021.
Definition / general
- Also known as sarcomatoid carcinoma, metaplastic carcinoma, spindle-cell carcinoma, and malignant mixed mesodermal tumour
- Rare (< 30 patients)
- May represent sarcomatoid transformation of prior adenocarcinoma or be related to radiotherapy or hormonal therapy
- Aggressive clinical course (Am J Surg Pathol 2006;30:1316)
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Biphasic tumor with adenocarcinoma and recognizable sarcoma components (chondrosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, angiosarcoma, osteosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma)
Microscopic (histologic) images
Contributed by Kenneth Iczkowski, M.D.
Fig. 3: Carcinosarcoma -
The epithelial component
as well as stromal component
are overtly malignant
Positive stains
- Epithelial component is cytokeratin+, PSA- and PAP+ (Am J Clin Pathol 1989;92:131)
Differential diagnosis
- Primary prostatic sarcoma, benign spindle cell proliferations such as inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (pseudosarcomatous fibromyxoid tumor) and postoperative spindle cell nodule can be confused with the mesenchymal component of sarcomatoid carcinoma; note that in recurrent tumors, the mesenchymal component usually overgrows the epithelial component and so a pure sarcomatous pattern in the setting of pretreated adenocarcinoma should be assumed to represent sarcomatoid carcinoma
Additional references
