title: True carcinosarcoma of the larynx.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the diagnosis and treatment of carcinosarcoma of the larynx.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical information, including presentation, pathology, treatment and outcome, was obtained from a review of patient charts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven male patients were confirmed pathologically to have had carcinosarcoma between 2003 and 2009 in our hospital. All patients underwent surgery: four total laryngectomies, two vertical partial laryngectomies, and one supracricoid partial laryngectomy-cricohyoidopexy. The mean follow up was 40.6 months. At the time of writing, six patients were alive and being followed; two of these suffered regional metastasis to the cervical lymphatic nodes and underwent radical neck dissection. One patient died of multiple distant metastases 60 months post-operatively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Carcinosarcoma of the larynx describes a biphasic tumour showing both carcinomatous and sarcomatous differentiation. It is extraordinarily rare and prone to metastasise to the cervical lymph nodes. Complete surgical resection of laryngeal primary lesions with wide margins and suitable neck dissection of cervical nodes is reasonable therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, PR China.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: L-M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: X-M
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: S-Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D002296:Carcinosarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D007825:Laryngectomy / Q000379:methods*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck; D037981:Neck Dissection; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D012189:Retrospective Studies