Abstract
Biphasic tumors are a group of tumors that are composed of two elements: malignant epithelial and mesenchymal components. These tumors only rarely arise in the lungs and overall represent less than 2 % of all primary lung neoplasms. In the bronchopulmonary system, the tumors belonging to this group include pulmonary blastoma, pleuropulmonary blastoma, and carcinosarcoma. Pulmonary blastomas and carcinosarcomas in particular have caused great contention in the literature with regard to their histogenesis, nomenclature, and classification; and to date no universally accepted concept exists as to whether these tumors represent independent clinicopathological entities or rather constitute subtypes of other neoplasms. However, based on their distinct morphological features and the results of the latest molecular investigations indicating tumor autonomy, these neoplasms warrant inclusion as independent entities. The pertinent characteristics of the three neoplasms are summarized in Table 5.1.
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Weissferdt, A., Moran, C.A. (2013). Biphasic Tumors of the Lungs. In: Diagnostic Pathology of Pleuropulmonary Neoplasia. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0787-5_5
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