sarcomatoid renal cancer

sarcomatoid renal cancer

What sarcomatoid renal cancer is

Sarcomatoid renal cell cancer is a rare type of kidney (renal) cancer. Fewer than 1 in 20 (5%) kidney cancers are sarcomatoid renal cancers.

Most kidney cancers start in cells called clear cells, but they can start in other cells too. It sems that any type of renal cell cancer can become sarcomatoid. This means that the cells of the cancer look like the cells of a sarcoma. So they are called ‘sarcomatoid’.

Sarcomas are cancers of the supportive tissue in our bodies. Supportive tissue includes

Bones

Muscle

Fat

Fibrous tissue

Nerves

Blood vessels

Sarcomatoid tumours are generally made up of other cell types too. These are usually clear cells and cells called chromophobe cells. Some doctors think that some kidney cancers turn into sarcomatoid tumours as the disease progresses.

Sarcomatoid renal tumours tend to grow more quickly than other types of kidney cancers and are more likely to spread to other parts of the body. This can make them more difficult to treat.

source:cancerhelp.org.uk

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The Sarcomatoid Pleural Mesothelioma

The Sarcomatoid Pleural Mesothelioma

Sarcomatoid mesothelioma accounts for approximately 7 to 20 percent of all mesothelioma cases diagnosed. The other two subtypes of mesothelioma include epithelial and biphasic, which are more common than sarcomatoid. A variant form of sarcomatoid is desmoplastic mesothelioma. This form of mesothelioma is considered the most difficult one to diagnose because of its similarity to sarcomatoid and the fact that the cells can be misdiagnosed as benign fibrous tissue.

Sarcomatoid mesothelioma cells are usually elongated and spindle-shaped. These cells tend to be irregular in size and often overlap one another. When analyzed under a microscope, sarcomatoid mesothelioma cells may resemble another form of cancer called pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma, a second opinion from a qualified physician is recommended to make sure an accurate diagnosis has been made.

Treatment options can differ significantly depending on what form of cancer a patient has been diagnosed with. In the case of sarcomatoid mesothelioma, where prognosis is often very poor, a patient may elect a treatment regimen that is much more aggressive since this form of cancer is typically resistant to treatment. Such options may include surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Regardless of the subtype a patient may exhibit, developing pleural mesothelioma is almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure. Exposure to this naturally occurring substance can occur by either inhaling or ingesting asbestos fibers. In many cases, these fibers have become airborne due to the disturbance of asbestos-containing materials. While complications may not present themselves immediately after someone has been exposed, symptoms of pleural mesothelioma can develop between 20 and 50 years later in life.

Sources
1. www.cancer.org
2. www.cancer.gov

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Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma Cancer

Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma Cancer

Sarcomatoid mesothelioma is the least common type of mesothelioma cancer cell and accounts for approximately 10 percent to 15 percent of malignant mesothelioma. These cells typically have more of an oval, irregular shape and the nucleus of each cell is not as visible with a microscope as the epithelioid mesothelioma cancer cells. Because of the similarity of appearance, the sarcomatoid cancer cells can also easily be confused with the more typical sarcoma cancer cells. Learn more aboutsarcomatoid mesothelioma cancer.

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Mesothelioma Cancer Cell Types Epithelioid Sarcomatoid Biphasic

Mesothelioma Cancer Cell Types Epithelioid Sarcomatoid Biphasic

Mesothelioma is one of the deadliest cancers for a number of reasons. It has a prolonged latency period during which it destroys the mucous-producing membrane that lines the outer surface of a number of organs. This membrane allows the organs to move, which in turn allows them to function. Over a period of decades mesothelioma destroys healthy cells by assaulting them with three main avenues of attack: epithelioid, sarcomatoid, biphasic cells.

Epithelioid mesothelioma cells are the most common and relatively easiest to treat of all types of mesothelioma. This type of cell appears to be a papillary or tubular growth that usually affects the outer membranes and linings of the internal organs and other bodily surfaces. Somewhere between 50 and 70% of all mesothelioma cases belong to this category, and although this cancer is usually extremely difficult to treat, epithelioid mesothelioma is the most likely to respond to treatment.

The second type of mesothelioma is sarcomatoid mesothelioma. This type is the most serious form of the disease, as it is the least likely to respond to treatment. These spindle-shaped pattern of cells that appear to overlap each other are also fortunately the rarest type of the cancer, with approximately 10-20% of all mesothelioma cases falling into this type. Sarcomatoid mesothelioma is so dangerous because it attacks and arises from the support tissues of the body, such as bone, cartilage, fat, and muscle, and cancers in these areas are notoriously difficult and painful to treat. Patients with this form of cancer rarely live longer than six months after diagnosis.

The final condition, biphasic mesothelioma, is not an independent type of mesothelioma, but a combination of sarcomatoid and epithelioid. It is also a mixed bag of conditions in that it can take the good and bad aspects of the other two types, and almost 20-35% of all mesothelioma cases fall into either mixed or biphasic areas.

Without a doubt, mesothelioma is one of the most devastating types of cancer. Most people rarely live beyond a year after their initial diagnosis, and few victims reach five years. Mesothelioma is almost always caused by asbestos exposure, and millions of people have had contact with this deadly substance.

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