Carcinosarcomas: tumors in transition?
Journal Article (Journal Article;Review)
Carcinosarcomas are rare, biphasic tumors that are comprised of carcinomatous and sarcomatous elements. While the exact mechanism by which these two phenotypes arise within a single tumor remains unclear, molecular evidence indicates that the epitheliod and spindle-cell components share a clonal origin. We propose that the biphasic nature of these neoplasms may represent an extreme case of epithelial plasticity, in which an epithelial-like cell undergoes a transition to a more mesenchymal phenotype. The present review will discuss both the histological and molecular biological evidence of the involvement of epithelial plasticity in driving the mixed phenotypes observed in carcinosarcomas.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Somarelli, JA; Boss, M-K; Epstein, JI; Armstrong, AJ; Garcia-Blanco, MA
Published Date
- June 2015
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 30 / 6
Start / End Page
- 673 - 687
PubMed ID
- 25587806
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 1699-5848
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.14670/HH-30.673
Language
- eng
Conference Location
- Spain