[Sarcomalike patterns in laryngeal carcinoma (pseudosarcoma, carcinosarcoma, spindle-cell-carcinoma, pleomorphic carcioma (author's transl)].

Report on 5 cases of so called carcinosarcomas of the larynx and hypopharynx and review of literature. These polypoid tumors have a small epidermoid carcinomatous part and a major part with sarcoma like appearance. The sarcomatoid tissue resembles to fibrosarcomas or some undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma. Observations of a gradual transition from the epithelial tumor cells to cells with a mesodermal appearance show that these tumors are varieties of squamous cell carcinomas (spindle cell or pleomorphic variety) and not "combination"--or "collision-tumors", "carcinosarcomas" or "seudosarcomas". These tumors appear in the larynx predominantly in man, at the same sites and in the same ageclasses as common squamous cell cancers and are not less malignant. The sarcomatoid tissue can arise at the beginning of the disease or at a later stage it can appear or disappear after operation or irradiation. The reason for this change of cellular structure is unknown.