Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma A Deadly Curse Of Asbestos
Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma is a quite uncommon kind of cancer caused as a result of asbestos exposure. While it is difficult to diagnose Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma, it hardly responds to any kind of therapy. Here is the most serious of all asbestos-related diseases. The chance of finding this kind of cancer is on the lips and the larynx. However, using cases it might affect the oral cavity as well. Like all other designs of mesothelioma cancers, this cancer is a fatal disease and hardly responds to any method of treatment. Even though radiation therapy is preferred for the treatment of these cancerous tumors, but a number of them may not be radiosensitive and may defy radiation for treatment.
Diagnosis of Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma:
The differentiation of sarcomatoid mesothelioma from other cell tumors by light microscopy is very difficult. The role of immunohistochemistry can be not well defined in its diagnosis. Since sarcomatoid mesothelioma is not necessarily cytokeratin-negative, the distinction between it and sarcoma is not necessarily possible. In this context, the doctors undertook a study to investigate the utility of diagnostic immunohistochemistry for distinguishing sarcomatoid mesothelioma from its histological mimics, high-grade sarcoma and pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma.
For its study, the researchers stained the mesotheliomas with sarcomatoid components. They assessed the intensity and distribution of staining with the aid of a semi quantitative scale. Only tumors with unequivocal staining were considered positive for tabulation. They compared the immunophenotypic profiles of the tumors with 24 high-grade sarcomas. The sarcomatoid carcinomas were also stained for thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1).
The analysis revealed that Cytokeratin 5/6 stained all of the epithelioids nevertheless the sarcomatoids were rarely stained. On the other hand, Calretinin and thrombomodulin each stained 70% of sarcomatoid. All 10 sarcomatoids were negative for TTF-1. This led to in conclusion that the wide immunophenotypic overlap exists among different sarcomatoids. Cytokeratin and calretinin have the most value in differentiating different sarcomatoids. Clinicopathological data, especially information about the gross appearance of the tumor is very essential for sarcomatoid tumors. Thus, it must be noted and carefully correlated with microscopic and immunohistochemical findings.