Adenosquamous carcinoma of lung

Adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung is a rare type of non-small cell lung cancer containing both components of lung adenocarcinoma and lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). 

Epidemiology

It is thought to constituting 0.4-4% of cases non-small cell lung cancer.

Risk factors

• cigarette smoking ⁸

Pathology

The definition of adenosquamous carcinoma indicates a carcinoma showing components of adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, with each comprising at least 10% of the tumor ⁴.

Location

There may be a slight predominance towards the periphery of the lung ^5-6.

Radiographic features

General

There appears to be a wide imaging spectrum both in terms of size and morphology ⁵. Differentiation from other histological forms on imaging grounds alone can be difficult, if not impossible. They usually present as a single lesion, with mean tumor size ranging from 2.8 to 3.8 cm (range 0.6-11 cm), based on two studies ^5-6.

Treatment and prognosis

It is thought to be more aggressive than both pure adenocarcinomas of the lung and pure squamous cell carcinomas of the lung ¹. The early-stage disease may be amenable to surgery. There may also be an increased rate of lymph node metastases at the time of presentation compared with other histological types ⁷.