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
