title: Carcinosarcomas--a retrospective analysis of 21 patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Carcinosarcomas (CS) are mixed epithelial and stromal tumours with both components being malignant. Twenty-one patients with carcinosarcomas who were treated at the University of Saarland, Germany, are presented.
  
  
  METHODS
  The hospital records of all patients were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age range for homologue CS (homCS) was 60.7 years and for heterologue CS (hetCS) 68.4 years. Post-menopausal bleeding and abdominal pain were the main symptoms. Treatment modalities included surgery, adjuvant radiation therapy and various chemotherapy regimens. The median follow-up time was 17.6 months (homCS) and 31.1 months (hetCS). The 1-year survival rate was 55.6% (hetCS 58.3%) and the 5-year survival rate was 11.1% (hetCS 8.3%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Carcinosarcoma is a uterine sarcoma with a poor prognosis. Treatment includes surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy, whereas radiotherapy does not necessarily lead to a benefit. Treatment with trastuzumab might be a new approach in the therapy of HER-2/neu-positive CS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital of Saarland, Kirrberger Strasse, 66421 Homburg/Saar.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Villena-Heinsen
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Diesing
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Griesinger
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maas
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Diedrich
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Friedrich
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002296:Carcinosarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*