{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,2]],"date-time":"2026-10-02T16:51:38Z","timestamp":1790959898362,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,8]],"date-time":"2024-07-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1720396800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Oncol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>The tumor growth rate and tumor volume doubling time are crucial parameters in diagnosing and managing lung lesions. Pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma (PSC) is a unique and highly malignant subtype of lung cancer, with limited documentation on its growth feature. This article aims to address the gap in knowledge regarding a PSC\u2019s growth patterns by describing the characteristics of a confirmed case using computed tomography, thereby enhancing the understanding of this rare disease.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Case presentation<\/jats:title><jats:p>A 79-year-old man was transferred to our center presenting with a mild cough, blood-tinged sputum, and a malignant nodule in the left upper lobe. Chest CT revealed a solid nodule in the left upper lobe. A follow-up CT ten days later showed a significant increase in the size of the nodule, accompanied by ground-glass opacity in the surrounding lung. The rapid preoperative growth of the nodule suggested a non-neoplastic lesion, and intraoperative frozen pathology also considered the possibility of tuberculosis. Subsequently, a left upper apical-posterior segment (S1 + 2) resection was performed. Postoperative tumor pathology confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma with extensive giant cell carcinoma and necrosis. Immunohistochemistry indicated approximately 60% PD-L1 positive and genetic testing revealed a MET mutation. The patient was discharged with oral crizotinib targeted therapy, and his condition remained stable postoperatively. The patient is currently undergoing regular follow-up at our hospital, with no evidence of distant metastasis or recurrence.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>Pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma can exhibit rapid tumor growth on imaging, and PSC should be considered in the differential diagnosis for lesions that present with a fast growth rate. Timely and appropriate treatment for PSC may lead to a good prognosis.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fonc.2024.1393203","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,8]],"date-time":"2024-07-08T04:32:05Z","timestamp":1720413125000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Case report: Pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma demonstrating rapid growth on follow-up CT"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Li","family":"Tu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hong","family":"Xie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lianshan","family":"Zhan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yushi","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tingting","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Na","family":"Hu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiaojun","family":"Du","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shi","family":"Zhou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3322\/caac.21660","article-title":"Global cancer statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries","volume":"71","author":"Sung","year":"2021","journal-title":"CA Cancer J Clin"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/JTO.0000000000000630","article-title":"The 2015 world health organization classification of lung tumors: impact of genetic, clinical and radiologic advances since the 2004 classification","volume":"10","author":"Travis","year":"2015","journal-title":"J Thorac oncology: Off Publ Int Assoc Study Lung Cancer"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jtho.2021.11.003","article-title":"The 2021 WHO classification of lung tumors: impact of advances since 2015","volume":"17","author":"Nicholson","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Thorac oncology: Off Publ Int Assoc Study Lung Cancer"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"49","DOI":"10.5858\/2008-0547-RAR.1","article-title":"Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the lung: histologic criteria and common lesions in the differential diagnosis","volume":"134","author":"Franks","year":"2010","journal-title":"Arch Pathol Lab Med"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"15330338221109647","DOI":"10.1177\/15330338221109647","article-title":"The prognosis of pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma: development and validation of a nomogram based on SEER","volume":"21","author":"Xie","year":"2022","journal-title":"Technol Cancer Res Treat"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"121","DOI":"10.21037\/atm","article-title":"Clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic factors of pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma: a large population analysis","volume":"9","author":"Gang","year":"2021","journal-title":"Ann Transl Med"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/jso.27043","article-title":"Prognostic impact of the tumor volume doubling time in clinical T1 non-small cell lung cancer with solid radiological findings","volume":"126","author":"Nakahashi","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Surg Oncol"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3348\/kjr.2020.0592","article-title":"Volume and mass doubling time of lung adenocarcinoma according to WHO histologic classification","volume":"22","author":"Hong","year":"2021","journal-title":"Korean J Radiol"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cllc.2017.05.002","article-title":"Consequences of referral time and volume doubling time in inoperable patients with early stage lung cancer","volume":"18","author":"Frelinghuysen","year":"2017","journal-title":"Clin Lung Cancer"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1148\/radiol.2017161659","article-title":"Guidelines for management of incidental pulmonary nodules detected on CT images: from the fleischner society 2017","volume":"284","author":"MacMahon","year":"2017","journal-title":"Radiology"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1148\/radiol.2020191835","article-title":"Volume doubling times of lung adenocarcinomas: correlation with predominant histologic subtypes and prognosis","volume":"295","author":"Park","year":"2020","journal-title":"Radiology"},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00432-019-02937-9","article-title":"Growth patterns of small peripheral squamous cell carcinoma of the lung and their impacts on pathological and biological characteristics of tumor cells","volume":"145","author":"Omori","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Cancer Res Clin Oncol"},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fonc.2023.1241475","article-title":"Anlotinib combined with pembrolizumab as first-line treatment for advanced pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma: a case report and literature review","volume":"13","author":"Wen","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front Oncol"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2022.956982","article-title":"The efficacy and safety analysis of first-line immune checkpoint inhibitors in pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma","volume":"13","author":"Qian","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Immunol"},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"590","DOI":"10.1159\/000519454","article-title":"Clinicopathological and prognostic features of 67 cases with pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma: an 18-year single-centre experience","volume":"44","author":"Ferhatoglu","year":"2021","journal-title":"Oncol Res Treat"},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3760\/cma.j.issn.0376-2491.2018.10.006","article-title":"[Clinical features and prognosis of pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma]","volume":"98","author":"Gu","year":"2018","journal-title":"Zhonghua yi xue za zhi"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1148\/radiol.2020192322","article-title":"The growth rate of subsolid lung adenocarcinoma nodules at chest CT","volume":"297","author":"de Margerie-Mellon","year":"2020","journal-title":"Radiology"},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fonc.2022.1011712","article-title":"The natural growth history of persistent pulmonary subsolid nodules: Radiology, genetics, and clinical management","volume":"12","author":"Zhang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Oncol"},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1148\/radiol.12102489","article-title":"Lung cancers diagnosed at annual CT screening: volume doubling times","volume":"263","author":"Henschke","year":"2012","journal-title":"Radiology"},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"209","DOI":"10.1186\/s13244-023-01563-x","article-title":"Solitary lung adenocarcinoma: follow-up CT, pathological-molecular characteristics, and surgical prognosis for different morphological classifications","volume":"14","author":"Liao","year":"2023","journal-title":"Insights Imaging"},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5761\/atcs.cr.13-00167","article-title":"Pleomorphic carcinoma showing rapid growth, multiple metastases, and intestinal perforation","author":"Koh","year":"2014","journal-title":"Ann Thorac Cardiovasc surgery: Off J Assoc Thorac Cardiovasc Surgeons Asia"},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"9254374","DOI":"10.1155\/2016\/9254374","article-title":"Rapid growth of lung nodules due to combined pulmonary vasculitis, silicoanthracosis, and chondrocalcinosis","volume":"2016","author":"Jungraithmayr","year":"2016","journal-title":"Can Respir J"},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1148\/radiol.12112351","article-title":"Pulmonary perifissural nodules on CT scans: rapid growth is not a predictor of Malignancy","volume":"265","author":"de Hoop","year":"2012","journal-title":"Radiology"},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.athoracsur.2020.02.071","article-title":"Pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma: experience from SEER database and shanghai pulmonary hospital","volume":"110","author":"Sun","year":"2020","journal-title":"Ann Thorac Surg"},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.arbr.2012.12.005","article-title":"Primary pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinomas","volume":"49","author":"Avila Mart\u00ednez","year":"2013","journal-title":"Archivos bronconeumologia"},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2023.1274937","article-title":"Pembrolizumab combined with anlotinib improves therapeutic efficacy in pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma with TMB-H and PD-L1 expression: a case report and literature review","volume":"14","author":"Wu","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front Immunol"},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2022.976739","article-title":"Immunophenotyping of pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma","volume":"13","author":"Ma","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Immunol"},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"8541157","DOI":"10.1155\/2022\/8541157","article-title":"Multimodality treatment of pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma: A review of current state of art","volume":"2022","author":"Zhang","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Oncol"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Oncology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fonc.2024.1393203\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,8]],"date-time":"2024-07-08T04:32:10Z","timestamp":1720413130000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fonc.2024.1393203\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,8]]},"references-count":28,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fonc.2024.1393203"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fonc.2024.1393203","relation":{},"ISSN":["2234-943X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2234-943X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,8]]},"article-number":"1393203"}}