Sarcomatoid Urothelial Carcinoma: A Single Cancer Center Experience

Jue Wang; Caitlynn Gillaspie; Rajesh Kunadharaju; Geoffrey A Talmon; Charles Enke

doi:10.4021/wjon370w

Sarcomatoid Urothelial Carcinoma: A Single Cancer Center Experience

World J Oncol. 2011 Aug;2(4):175-180. doi: 10.4021/wjon370w. Epub 2011 Aug 24.

Authors

Jue Wang¹, Caitlynn Gillaspie¹, Rajesh Kunadharaju¹, Geoffrey A Talmon², Charles Enke³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Oncology-Hematology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-7680, USA.
² Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-3135, USA.
³ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA.

Abstract

Background: Sarcomatoid bladder cancer is a rare and aggressive variant of urothelial carcinoma.

Methods: A retrospective review of our experience in managing patients with sarcomatoid bladder cancer (SRBC) between 1997 and 2011 was performed to better define the behavior and outcomes of this disease.

Results: The median age of the patients was 63 years. All patients presented with high grade histology. Eighty-five percent of the patients presented with muscle invasive disease and fifty percent presented with stage IV carcinoma. Ten of 14 (71%) of patients underwent a cystectomy. Patients with SRBC was younger (P < 0.01), more commonly presented with higher grade histology (P < 0.01) and advanced stage disease (P < 0.01), in comparison with patients with Urothelial carcinoma (UC). At a median follow-up of 7 months (range 1.3 - 112), five (35.7%) patients have died in last follow-up. Two-year survival was 53.5%. Three patients with long term survival were reported.

Conclusions: Sarcomatoid bladder cancer is associated with poor prognosis. Multimodality therapy may improve these patients outcome.

Keywords: Cystectomy; Multimodality therapy; Outcome; Sarcomatoid bladder cancer.