Sarcomatoid cancer of the lung – case report

Backgrounds Sarcomatoid cancer (SARC) of the lung is a very rare and aggressive type of non-small cell lung cancer. It belongs to a group of poorly differentiated carcinomas with partial sarcomatoid differentiation or with a direct sarcoma component.  Characteristic findings include a large tumor with an invasive tendency, early recurrence and systemic metastasis. Case The authors present a case of SARC in a 77-year-old patient. Preoperative staging confirmed sarcomatoid cancer of the lower lobe of the left lung without generalization on PET/CT but with infiltration of more than 2/3 of the diaphragm. A resection was performed- a left lower lobectomy with resection of the diaphragm and replacement by muscle flap from the latissimus dorsi muscle with vascular pedicle. Histological findings confirmed the diagnosis of sarcomatoid (pleomorphic) cancer pT3N0M0. The patient underwent adjuvant chemotherapy; recurrence and systemic dissemination of the disease occurred after 20 months, the patient died 21 months after the operation.