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Primary hepatic sarcomatoid carcinoma: clinical features and prognosis of 28 resected cases

  • Original Article – Clinical Oncology
  • Published:
Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Primary hepatic sarcomatoid carcinoma (SC) is an extremely rare malignancy composed of both carcinomatous and spindle cell sarcomatous components. Our aim was to clarify the clinical features and prognosis of patients with this disease.

Methods

Between January 1996 and August 2012, 28 patients were histologically diagnosed as primary hepatic SC after surgical resection. Their demographic, clinicopathological, and survival data were retrospectively reviewed.

Results

There were 22 men (78.6 %) and 6 women (21.4 %), with a median age of 53 years (range 29–73 years). The median overall survival was 11.5 months, and the 1-, 2-, and 3-year overall survival rates were 50, 21.4, 14.3 %, respectively. The patients who received radical resection had obviously better survival compared with those underwent palliative resection (15.6 vs. 7.6 months, P = 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that TNM stage [HR 8.737, 95 % CI 1.263–60.430, P = 0.042] and local invasion [HR 4.734, 95 % CI 1.382–16.220, P = 0.013] were independent risk factors for overall survival.

Conclusions

Primary hepatic SC is highly aggressive malignancy with extremely poor prognosis. Radical resection at an early stage may contribute to a relatively favorable prognosis for this uncommon disease.

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We declare that we have no conflict of interest.

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Correspondence to Nan-Sheng Cheng.

Additional information

Jiong Lu and Jie Zhang have contributed equally to this work.

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Lu, J., Zhang, J., Xiong, XZ. et al. Primary hepatic sarcomatoid carcinoma: clinical features and prognosis of 28 resected cases. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 140, 1027–1035 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-014-1641-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-014-1641-3

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