Surgically treated pleomorphic carcinoma of the lung

We experienced 3 resected cases of pleomorphic carcinoma of the lung. Each cases were 74-year-old man (case 1), 74-year-old woman (case 2) and 69-year-old man (case 3). Two patients (case 1 and 2) were histologically diagnosed as pleomorphic carcinoma composed of spindle cell carcinoma with giant cell carcinoma. One patient (case 3) was similarly diagnosed as pleomorphic carcinoma composed of spindle cell carcinoma with adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Although lymph nodes metastasis were not recognized in all patients, invasion to vessels were recognized in 2 patients (case 1 and 3). In one patient (case 1), recurrence was recognized at contralateral side 1 month after surgery and he died of other disease 2 months after surgery. The other 2 patients were alive without recurrence 24 and 5 months after surgery. Recently it is reported that recurrence is recognized at early phase after surgery and prognosis is poor in a case with vessel invasions in spite of pathological NO state. Since one patient (case 3) had nonmetastatic lymph nodes with vessel invasions, careful observation is considered to be necessary.