Carcinosarcoma of the Pancreas: Case Report With Comprehensive Literature Review

Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the pancreas (Review)

Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the pancreas (SCP) is a rare and aggressive subtype of undifferentiated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, with a generally poor prognosis and only sporadic cases reported worldwide. Histologically, the most notable feature of SCP is the presence of abundant of mesenchymatoid spindle tumor cells in the tumor, which lack glandular differentiation. Immunohistochemically, SCP is characterized by the expression of both mesenchymal and epithelial markers. With only a few reported cases, there is limited knowledge about its molecular and clinicopathological characteristics. Therefore, the present study performed a literature search to identify all relevant published studies. The present review provides an overview of the histogenesis, diagnosis, genetic features, prognosis and treatment of SCP, specifically focusing on the molecular alterations. Furthermore, a single-center experience is reported, which adds to the limited evidence available in the literature.

Pancreatic carcinosarcoma: An orthogonal analysis

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic carcinosarcoma is a rare subtype of pancreatic cancer. There are no consensus guidelines regarding its treatment. The current study is an orthogonal analysis of multiple datasets to evaluate prognostic features.

METHODS

A modified Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 systematic review was performed for reported cases of pancreatic carcinosarcoma. All cases of pancreatic carcinosarcoma in the National Cancer Database were identified for analysis. Analyses were compared to previously published data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database to increase validity.

RESULTS

Seventy-one cases of pancreatic carcinosarcoma were reported in the literature. Reports of pancreatic carcinosarcoma increased over time (P = .0075). Tumor size >5.0 cm, metastatic disease, and relapse were associated with decreased disease-specific survival (all log-rank P < .05). Ninety-nine cases of pancreatic carcinosarcoma were analyzed within the National Cancer Database. Pancreatic carcinosarcoma incidence increased over time (P = .0371). Resection + chemotherapy, pathologic lymph node examination, and treatment at an academic center were associated with improved overall survival (all log-rank P < .05), whereas harboring ≥2 positive lymph nodes was associated with decreased overall survival (log-rank P = .0171). Within a multivariable model adjusting for age, sex, comorbid disease, and disease stage, resection + chemotherapy was associated with a decreased hazard of death (hazard ratio .036; confidence Interval .004-.298; P = .0022). Published data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database supported the current analysis regarding the incidence of pancreatic carcinosarcoma, resection, lymph node evaluation, and the impact of metastatic disease.

CONCLUSION

Pancreatic carcinosarcoma is exceedingly rare, with a poor prognosis. Long-term survival is possible with curative resection in the absence of relapse. The number of positive lymph nodes appears to impact prognosis.

Anaplastic (undifferentiated) carcinoma of pancreas, an uncommon variant: Diagnosed on endoscopic-guided fine needle aspiration

Anaplastic carcinoma of pancreas (ACP) are rare pancreatic neoplasms. They are well known to be associated with more aggressive tumor behavior and less favorable prognosis than usual pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Endoscopic-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is now a widely accepted modality in diagnosis of pancreatic lesions. However, only a few reports are available describing cytological features of anaplastic carcinoma. Here, we report two cases of ACP diagnosed on EUS-FNA.

Malignant biliary obstruction due to metastatic non-hepato-pancreato-biliary cancer

Malignant biliary obstruction generally results from primary malignancies of the pancreatic head, bile duct, gallbladder, liver, and ampulla of Vater. Metastatic lesions from other primaries to these organs or nearby lymph nodes are rarer causes of biliary obstruction. The most common primaries include renal cancer, lung cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, lymphoma, and melanoma. They may be difficult to differentiate from primary hepato-pancreato-biliary cancer based on imaging studies, or even on biopsy. There is also no consensus on the optimal method of treatment, including the feasibility and effectiveness of endoscopic intervention or surgery. A thorough review of the literature on pancreato-biliary metastases and malignant biliary obstruction due to metastatic non-hepato-pancreato-biliary cancer is presented. The diagnostic modality and clinical characteristics may differ significantly depending on the type of primary cancer. Different primaries also cause malignant biliary obstruction in different ways, including direct invasion, pancreatic or biliary metastasis, hilar lymph node metastasis, liver metastasis, and peritoneal carcinomatosis. Metastasectomy may hold promise for some types of pancreato-biliary metastases. This review aims to elucidate the current knowledge in this area, which has received sparse attention in the past. The aging population, advances in diagnostic imaging, and improved treatment options may lead to an increase in these rare occurrences going forward.

Carcinosarcoma, a Rare Malignant Neoplasm of the Pancreas

Carcinosarcoma of the pancreas is a rare entity with poor prognosis. Here, we report a case of pancreatic carcinosarcoma in a 68-year-old male patient who underwent a pancreatoduodenectomy for a unilocular cystic mass in the head of the pancreas. Histologically, the lesion showed a biphasic tumor with a carcinoma component and a spindle cell sarcomatous component, which were intimately intermingled. Most of the carcinoma components are well-differentiated ductal adenocarcinoma with small areas of moderately to poorly differentiated ductal adenocarcinoma. The sarcomatous component is a high-grade highly cellular spindle cell tumor with frequent mitosis and apoptosis. Immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that the carcinomatous component was positive for epithelial markers and cyclin D1, and the sarcomatous component was negative for these markers while positive for vimentin, p16, and DOG1 with patchy positivity for S100. Other markers, including SOX10, CD117, Melan A, HMB45, actin, desmin, myogenin, beta-catenin, TLE1, and p53, were negative in both components. Molecular studies demonstrated that the tumor was microsatellite stable. Whole exome next generation sequencing analysis was performed and no pathogenic alterations in the genes were identified.

Pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm with sarcomatous transformation. A case report

Mixed pancreatic epithelial and mesenchymal tumors are rare, usually invasive, entities. Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) is a precursor of invasive ductal carcinoma and shares mutations with its invasive counterparts. We report the case of a 72-year-old female with a previously undescribed sarcomatous transformation of a residual IPMN with no evidence of an invasive component. The mesenchymal component showed no heterologous differentiation. Both the epithelial and the mesenchymal populations showed aberrant expression of p53 protein and the same point mutation in KRAS gene. After a 6 month follow up, there were no signs of local or distant relapse. The present case suggests that sarcomatous transformation is possible in non-invasive, intraductal pancreatic lesions.

Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the pancreas — a rare tumor with an uncommon presentation and course: A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND

Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the pancreas (SCP) is a rare type of pancreatic neoplasm, and only a few cases have been described in the literature. Histologically, it is composed mostly of atypical spindle cells with apparent sarcomatous features.

CASE SUMMARY

This is a report of a 61-year-old Chilean woman who underwent medical investigation for acute abdominal pain. Computed tomography identified a solid tumor in the tail of the pancreas with features suspicious of malignancy. En-bloc distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy were performed to excise the tumor. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry were confirmatory of sarcomatoid carcinoma with lymphovascular invasion. After surgery, the patient did not receive chemotherapy. Previous studies indicate a poor prognosis for this type of malignancy. However, our patient has survived for 35 mo with no recurrence to date.

CONCLUSION

The case presented herein is a patient with an SCP with a rare presentation and long-term survival after surgery despite not receiving adjuvant chemotherapy.

Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the pancreas — multimodality imaging findings with serial imaging follow-up: A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND

Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the pancreas is extremely rare and has an extremely poor prognosis. Although a few cases of sarcomatoid carcinoma of pancreas have been reported, most are focused on a histopathological review. To the best of our knowledge, there are no reports documenting multimodality imaging characteristics and chronological changes with emphasis on radiologic features.

CASE SUMMARY

A 64-year-old woman was admitted to Chungnam National University Hospital with acute appendicitis. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the abdomen revealed a 2.6 cm × 2.8 cm multilobular cystic mass in the pancreatic tail. The pancreatic lesion showed suspected mural nodules and thin septa. Hence, mucinous cystic neoplasm of pancreas was considered. After 7 mo, the patient was readmitted for repeated epigastric abdominal pain and nausea. Follow-up contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the abdomen and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a marked enlargement (5.4 cm × 4 cm), with a predominant internal solid component. The mass showed low signal intensity on a T1-weighted image and heterogeneously intermediate high signal intensity on a T2-weighted image. It showed diffusion restriction and peripheral rim enhancement on an arterial phase image, and progressive enhancement on portal venous and delayed phase images. Distal pancreatectomy was performed. Based on the morphology and immunohistochemical staining of the specimen, pancreatic sarcomatoid carcinoma was diagnosed.

CONCLUSION

We present the computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography computed tomography findings, pathologic features, and chronological changes for preoperative diagnosis.

Pancreatic Carcinosarcoma Clinical Outcome Analysis of the National Cancer Institute Database

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic carcinosarcomas (PCS) are rare aggressive biphasic malignancies with a poor prognosis. We aimed to improve the understanding of PCS by analyzing variables that influence the mortality of PCS patients.

METHODS

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was queried for cases of PCS from 1973 to 2016. Cases were analyzed for patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and surgical intervention. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were applied to investigate the overall survival (OS) and prognostic factors.

RESULTS

Thirty-nine cases of PCS were identified along with the disease demographics and characteristics. The majority of patients had a regionally invasive or metastatic disease. There was a significant decrease in OS with the increase of the tumor extension. Conversely, surgery showed to improve OS in the crude analysis, including patients that underwent lymphadenectomy. In addition, the unadjusted Cox regression results showed decreased hazard ratios with a local disease versus distant metastasis and with cancer-directed surgery versus no surgery. Nevertheless, the adjusted Cox regression results revealed that metastatic disease was the only significant predictor of survival.

CONCLUSIONS

This population-based study provides some insight to a very rare disease by analyzing 39 cases of PCS. Our finding suggests considering PCS as a nonsurgical disease and reserving surgery solely for patients with a localized disease in combination or after neoadjuvant therapy. Consequently, there is a need to further investigate novel therapies for this aggressive malignancy.

Carcinosarcoma of the pancreas: comprehensive clinicopathological and molecular characterization

BACKGROUND

Carcinosarcoma of pancreas is a rare subtype of pancreatic cancer. The aim of this study was to comprehensively elaborate the clinicopathological and molecular features of this rare malignancy.

METHODS

Patients who were diagnosed with carcinosarcoma of the pancreas were retrospectively identified from pathology database of a single institution between 2012 and 2018.

RESULTS

A total of nine patients were identified. Pathological examination of tumor tissues from included patients showed coexisting carcinomatous and sarcomatous components. These two components were distinguished by mutually exclusive expression of cytokeratin and vimentin. The sarcomatous tissue exhibited more extensive proliferation, as revealed by Ki67 staining, and necrosis compared with the carcinomatous counterpart. Genomic analysis of tumor tissues for two patients demonstrated hotspot mutation at KRAS and TP53. Carcinomatous and sarcomatous components were separately obtained via laser captured microdissection in one patient, and mutations of driving genes were highly concordant between them. Besides, immunostaining of frequently-altered tumor suppressor genes for these two components suggested consistent expression patterns. The median overall survival for six patients with adequate follow-up was 14 months.

CONCLUSION

Carcinosarcoma of the pancreas represent a rare malignancy with distinct histological characteristics. Genomic and molecular analysis suggested monoclonal origin of carcinomatous and sarcomatous components.

Computed Tomography Features and Clinicopathological Characteristics of Gastric Sarcomatoid Carcinoma

Purpose

Gastric sarcomatoid carcinoma (GSC) is a very rare malignant tumor. The purpose of this study is to describe the clinical, computed tomography (CT), and pathologic features of GSC to increase awareness of this entity.

Methods

The CT features and clinical data of five patients with pathologically documented GSC were retrospectively analyzed and compared with the corresponding data of gastric adenocarcinoma and lymphoma.

Results

Among the 5 patients, 4 were male, and 1 was female. The median age was 59 years. Of the 5 cases of GSC, 3 were in the gastric fundus and cardia, 1 was in the gastric body, and 1 was in the gastric fundus. The gastric wall had local thickening in 4 cases and mass formation in 1 case, with stenosis and deformation of the adjacent gastric cavity. The long-axis diameter of the lesions ranged from 1.4 to 10.2 cm (mean, 4.97 cm) and was <10 cm in 4 cases and >10 cm in 1 case. The tumor showed predominantly inhomogeneous density, with radiodensity values ranging from 30 to 53 HU. In addition, ulcers with an irregular base and slightly raised borders were observed in 4 of 5 cases. After an injection of contrast material, heterogeneous (n = 4) or homogeneous (n = 1) enhancement was observed. After contrast medium injection, obvious enhancement was seen in 2 cases, and moderate enhancement was seen in 3 cases; the peak tumor signal was observed in the portal phase. Two of the patients demonstrated evidence of lymph node involvement, and in one patient, the boundary between the lesion and the left lobe of the liver was unclear, with low attenuation in the right lobe of the liver with circular enhancement. The remaining two patients showed no evidence of metastasis.

Conclusion

Although GSC is extremely rare, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of gastric adenocarcinoma and lymphoma. CT findings, combined with patient age and sex, can provide support for the diagnosis of GSC. However, the final diagnosis must be confirmed with histopathology.

Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the pancreas with rare long-term survival: a case report

BACKGROUND

Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the pancreas (SCP) tends to have similar or even worse prognosis than that of conventional pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. The clinical and pathological features of SCP remain poorly characterized owing to its rarity.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 58-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with the chief complaints of upper abdominal pain and weight loss. Abdominal contrast computed tomography revealed a 5-cm low-density mass in the pancreatic body. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography revealed an obstruction of the main pancreatic duct and a dilation of the distal main pancreatic duct. Based on the clinicoradiological findings, pancreatic body cancer was suspected, and the distal pancreatectomy was performed. A pathological examination revealed that the tumor was composed of an area of invasive ductal adenocarcinoma and an area of sarcomatous spindle-shaped cells; the latter component predominated. The spindle cells were immunohistochemically positive for both cytokeratin and vimentin, and thus, a pathological diagnosis of SCP was made. In addition, immunohistochemical analysis suggested the sarcomatous component might be derived from the adenocarcinoma component via the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition. After the operation, the patient received 6 months of chemotherapy with gemcitabine. At 10 years after the operation, the patient is alive with no recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

The current case study presented a SCP patient with long-term survival after the operation. It was worth noting that the sarcomatous component of the tumor pathologically showed lower MIB-1 labeling index compared with those in previously reported SCP cases, which might account for the long-term survival of the patient.

Treatment of Rare and Aggressive Pancreatic Carcinosarcoma

A 42-year-old African American woman presented with 4 days of worsening midepigastric pain that radiated to her back. Computed tomography confirmed a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis and revealed a mass within the distal body and tail of the pancreas. After an endoscopic ultrasound with fine-needle aspiration yielding atypical cells suspicious for adenocarcinoma, the patient underwent an en bloc resection of the intra-abdominal mass with subtotal pancreatectomy, splenectomy, left colectomy, and left partial adrenalectomy. Histopathologic examination findings, in addition to immunohistochemical staining, revealed a diagnosis of pancreatic carcinosarcoma. Postoperatively, the patient has undergone 20 cycles of chemotherapy and has been transitioned to comfort measures at 16 months postoperatively because of progressive disease.

Primary carcinosarcoma of the ureteropelvic junction associated with ureteral duplication: A case report

RATIONALE

Primary carcinosarcoma of the upper urinary tract is rare. Ureteral duplication is one of the most common urinary tract malformations. Additionally, the association between ureteral duplication and malignancy is unknown. To the best of our knowledge, no cases of malignant tumors diagnosed as carcinosarcoma with ureteral duplication have been reported. We herein report the case of a patient with carcinosarcoma of the ureteropelvic junction associated with incomplete ureteral duplication.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 60-year-old Japanese woman presented with painless gross hematuria. She had a history of total hysterectomy and chemotherapy for endometrioid carcinoma 5 years before. She had no history of occupational chemical exposure.

DIAGNOSES

Radiographic imaging revealed right incomplete ureteral duplication, hydronephrosis, and a polypoid tumor in the ureteropelvic junction of the lower moiety of the right kidney. Urine cytology showed a small amount of degenerated atypical epithelial and nonepithelial cells. The transureteral biopsy specimen showed dysplastic urothelial cells and atypical myoid spindle cells. These findings were indefinite for malignancy.

INTERVENTIONS

The patient underwent right nephroureterectomy. Pathological examination of the resected tumor showed a biphasic neoplasm composed of carcinomatous and sarcomatous components. The sarcomatous component was immunohistochemically positive for vimentin, desmin, h-caldesmon, and α-SMA and negative for pancytokeratin (AE1/AE3), low molecular weight cytokeratin (CAM 5.2), EMA, E-cadherin, GATA3, uroplakin 2, and p63. Based on these findings, we diagnosed the tumor as carcinosarcoma.

OUTCOMES

The postoperative course was uneventful. No additional therapy was administered. The patient has remained alive without recurrence for 21 months since surgery.

LESSONS

Carcinosarcoma can arise from ureteral duplication. Although the majority of carcinosarcomas of the upper urinary tract are diagnosed at an advanced stage and have a poor prognosis, some can have a less aggressive course. Further studies are needed to determine the association between ureteral duplication and malignancy.

Rare pancreatic carcinosarcoma in a patient with medical history of esophageal cancer: A case report and literature review

RATIONALE

Pancreatic carcinosarcoma (PCS) is a very rare pancreatic cancer with an extremely poor prognosis. Interestingly, PCS can coexist with other metachronous malignant cancers. Here we report a case of PCS combined with esophageal cancer (EC).

PATIENT CONCERNS

The patient was a 66-year-old man who presented with abdominal pain and progressive nausea. He had undergone esophagectomy for EC 5 years previously.

DIAGNOSIS

Both EC and PCS were confirmed via postoperative pathological diagnosis.

INTERVENTIONS

Owing to the patient's previous esophagectomy for EC, pancreaticoduodenectomy for the PCS could not be performed. Instead, he underwent cholecystectomy with bile duct-jejunum Roux-en-Y anastomosis and radioactive seed implantation.

OUTCOMES

The patient is still alive for >1 year.

LESSONS

To our knowledge, this is the first report of PCS combined with EC and thus of metachronous multiple primary carcinoma. A detailed literature review of the clinical and histologic features of PCS reveals important information about the epidemiology and biology of this rare disease.

Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the pancreas: A case report

BACKGROUND

Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the pancreas (SCP) is a rare and aggressive epithelial tumor that has both epithelial and mesenchymal features. It is characterized by sarcomatous elements with evidence of epithelial differentiation. And the term “sarcomatoid carcinoma” is often confused with “carcinosarcoma”.

CASE SUMMARY

We present a case of SCP with lymph node metastasis in a 59-year-old male patient. He had experienced darkening of the urine, scleral icterus, and fatigue for 4 weeks. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a mass in the pancreatic head, and laboratory tests revealed elevated serum bilirubin levels. The patient underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy after biliary decompression. Histologically, spindle cells with marked nuclear atypia and brisk mitotic activity arranged in a storiform or fascicular pattern were present in the bulk of the tumor. Immunohistochemical analysis found that the spindle cells exhibited strong diffuse positivity for epithelial markers, indicative of epithelial differentiation. Accordingly, the pathologic diagnosis of the pancreatic neoplasm was SCP.

CONCLUSION

Although sarcomatoid carcinomas and carcinosarcomas have different pathologic features, both have epithelial origin.

Brain metastasis in pancreatic cancer: Two case reports

RATIONALE

Brain metastases are extremely rare for patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma due to the poor prognoses. In the present study, we reported 2 cases of pancreatic adenocarcinoma with brain metastases.

PATIENT CONCERNS

The 1st patient was diagnosed asymptomatic brain metastasis by a follow-up brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) due to a medical history of subarachnoid hemorrhage. The 2nd patient experienced dizziness, neck pain, and seizure. Computed tomography (CT) was used for the diagnosis of brain metastasis because he was inserted a pacemaker.

DIAGNOSIS

In case 1, brain MRI revealed that a solitary brain metastasis 14-mm in size was identified at the cortico-medullary junction in the left frontal lobe. In case 2, brain enhanced CT revealed multiple brain metastases with calcification at the cerebral cortex. Times to develop central nervous system metastasis were 19 months and 33 months, respectively.

INTERVENTIONS

The 1st patient was treated with 45.2 Gy γ-knife irradiation for the solitary brain metastasis, and the 2nd patient was treated with supportive care due to the poor general condition.

OUTCOMES

The prognoses of these 2 patients were 13 months, and 32 days from the diagnosis of brain metastasis. The 1st patient did not experience complication of a γ-knife irradiation and brain metastasis was controlled until death.

LESSONS

The incidence of brain metastases from pancreatic adenocarcinoma is expected to increase due to prolonged survival from improved treatment. Therefore, increased awareness of brain involvement is necessary when neurological disorder is suspected in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.