Pancreatic carcinosarcoma with rare long-term survival: Case report and review of the literature

PATIENT CONCERNS: We report a rare case of pancreatic carcinosarcoma involving a 44-year-old woman. The patient complained of discomfort associated with the upper abdomen and jaundice of skin and sclera for 1 week. DIAGNOSES: After hospitalization, relevant examinations were completed. The disease was diagnosed as carcinoma of the pancreatic head. INTERVENTIONS: Whipple procedure was conducted in May 2013. Intraoperative exploration indicated 2 components of the tumor: a fish-shaped gray matter and a hard structure similar to cancellous bone. Histopathological examination showed adenocarcinoma and osteosarcoma. After surgery, the patient received 8 cycles of chemotherapy with gemcitabine and raltitrexed. OUTCOMES: Previous studies indicated poor prognosis for pancreatic carcinosarcoma. However, our patient survived for 31 months with no recurrence till date. LESSONS SUBSECTIONS: Coexistence of pancreatic adenocarcinoma and osteosarcoma is very rare. Our case was also an exception in manifesting longer survival than expected.