Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma
Sarcomatoid mesothelioma is the rarest of the three mesothelioma cell types. It’s the most aggressive and hardest to treat, but treatments like chemotherapy and immunotherapy may help some patients live longer. We can help sarcomatoid mesothelioma patients find top doctors and treatments.
What Is Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma?
Sarcomatoid mesothelioma is the least common and most aggressive mesothelioma cell type. It develops decades after asbestos exposure. The cells are spindle-shaped, so they don’t stick together easily and can spread quickly through the body.
This makes sarcomatoid mesothelioma harder to treat than the other cell types (epithelioid and biphasic). However, it may be possible to achieve long-term survival with the right treatment plan.
Quick Facts on Sarcomatoid Malignant Mesothelioma
- Sarcomatoid mesothelioma can develop in the lining of the lungs, heart, abdomen, or testes.
- It’s also known as sarcomatous mesothelioma or spindle-cell mesothelioma and accounts for 10-20% of all cases.
- The average sarcomatoid mesothelioma life expectancy is 4 months, and the 2-year survival rate is 15%.
If you or a loved one has mesothelioma, we can connect you with top doctors and help you seek compensation to pay for any expenses you now face.
Speak with our mesothelioma nurses for free now to get started.
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Amy Fair
20+ Years Helping
Mesothelioma Patients
Causes of Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma
The only cause of sarcomatoid malignant mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos, a fiber-like substance once found in drywall, gaskets, insulation, and many other products.
Breathing in or swallowing asbestos fibers traps them inside the body, where they can damage healthy cells and lead to any type of mesothelioma 10-50 years later.
On-the-job asbestos exposure put millions of Americans in danger of sarcomatoid mesothelioma cancer. Secondhand exposure (when workers brought asbestos fibers home on clothing, hair, or skin) put family members at risk, too.
Mesothelioma Sarcomatoid Symptoms
Sarcomatoid mesothelioma symptoms take 10-50 years to develop after asbestos exposure. Patients often have few or no symptoms at first. The symptoms become noticeable as the cancer spreads.
General symptoms of sarcomatoid mesothelioma may include:
- Blood in vomit or feces
- Chest pain
- Coughing
- Fatigue
- Fluid buildup in the lung or abdominal lining
- Night sweats
- Shortness of breath
- Shoulder or upper back pain
- Weight loss
Symptoms vary depending on where the cancer develops. Sarcomatoid pleural mesothelioma, which forms in the lung lining (pleura), causes coughing, chest pain, and other respiratory issues.
In sarcomatoid peritoneal mesothelioma, tumors appear in the abdominal lining (peritoneum), causing digestive issues and weight loss.
Call (877) 446-5767 now if you’re experiencing sarcomatoid mesothelioma symptoms. Our mesothelioma nurses can help find top doctors near you.
Malignant Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma Diagnosis
To make a sarcomatoid mesothelioma diagnosis, doctors must evaluate a patient’s symptoms and then recommend tests to determine the cause.
Tests to help diagnose sarcomatoid mesothelioma include:
- An analysis of a patient’s health history, including any potential asbestos exposure
- Imaging tests like CT scans, MRIs, PET scans, and X-rays to look for tumors in the body
- Blood tests to detect biomarkers (substances that indicate cancer), such as cytokeratin and calretinin
- A biopsy to remove a tissue sample and look for sarcomatoid mesothelioma cells under a microscope
- Immunohistochemistry staining to correctly identify cancer cells during a biopsy
Once a mesothelioma doctor has confirmed your diagnosis, they can then recommend treatment plans that could help you live longer.
Misdiagnosis of Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma
Cases of sarcomatoid mesothelioma could be misdiagnosed without proper care because the cancer is so rare and shares symptoms with many more common conditions.
Misdiagnosing mesothelioma can have serious consequences, since the cancer won’t get properly treated.
Sarcomatoid mesothelioma misdiagnoses include:
- Carcinoma
- Lung sarcoma
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Pleurisy (inflammation of the lung lining)
- Tuberculosis
Doctors could also misdiagnose biphasic mesothelioma (where tumors contain both epithelial and sarcomatoid cells) as sarcomatoid mesothelioma. If more sarcomatoid cells are present, a biopsy sample may have very few or no epithelioid mesothelioma cells visible.
Get in touch with our mesothelioma nurses to figure out your options if you believe a misdiagnosis may have occurred.
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Amy Fair
20+ Years Helping
Mesothelioma Patients
Subtypes of Sarcomatoid Mesothelial Cells
Doctors may determine that you have a rare subtype of sarcomatoid mesothelioma based on the results of your pathology report (results of biopsies and other tests).
Mesothelioma sarcomatoid subtypes include:
- Desmoplastic mesothelioma: This makes up 5-10% of pleural mesothelioma cases. Desmoplastic sarcomatoid mesothelioma has a poor prognosis (health outlook) of just 5 months, according to a 2024 Respiratory Medicine report.
- Lymphohistiocytoid mesothelioma: Accounting for between 1-3% of mesothelioma cases, this subtype must be distinguished from other cancers like non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in order to be properly treated.
- Transitional mesothelioma: This subtype develops in sheets of round cells. They don’t look exactly like epithelial or sarcomatoid cells but are genetically more similar to the latter, according to a report from Translational Lung Cancer Research.
Doctors can recommend the best treatments for any sarcomatoid mesothelioma subtype you have based on the specifics of your case.
Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma Prognosis
The prognosis for sarcomatoid mesothelioma is less favorable compared to the other cell types since these cells spread so quickly. Generally speaking, sarcomatoid mesothelioma patients only live a few months after diagnosis.
That said, factors like stage, cancer location, and a patient’s overall health can impact mesothelioma prognosis. Some patients may live for much longer than expected with medical care.
Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
The life expectancy for sarcomatoid mesothelioma patients is only 4-7 months, the worst of any cell type. However, your mesothelioma life expectancy depends on how advanced your cancer is and how it responds to treatments.
For example, a 2023 report published in Diagnostic Pathology found that a pleural sarcomatoid mesothelioma patient lived for 33 months, or nearly 3 years, after his first reported symptoms.
Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma Survival Rate
Mesothelioma survival rate is the percentage of patients still alive after a set number of years.
Here are notable sarcomatoid mesothelioma survival rates with surgery:
- 2-year survival rate: 15%
- 5-survival rate: 4%
The survival rates of sarcomatoid mesothelioma are lower when compared to those of epithelial and biphasic mesothelioma. Still, you could outlive the typical survival rates if your cancer responds well to treatment.
Contact our team now to speak with nurses who can recommend treatments that may improve your sarcomatoid mesothelioma survival rate and life expectancy.
Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma Treatment
Doctors can use different sarcomatoid mesothelioma treatment options to help you live longer with this cancer. Learn about commonly used treatment options below.
Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma Chemotherapy
Mesothelioma chemotherapy uses anti-cancer drugs like pemetrexed, carboplatin, and cisplatin to destroy tumor cells.
A 2021 study published in Scientific Reports found that sarcomatoid mesothelioma patients lived for 10.7 months on average when treated with chemotherapy.
Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy drugs boost the immune system’s ability to fight mesothelioma.
The CheckMate-743 study found that the immunotherapies Opdivo® (nivolumab) and Yervoy® (ipilimumab) helped patients with sarcomatoid or biphasic mesothelioma live for 18.1 months on average, much longer than those treated with chemotherapy.
“The combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab was found to be effective for sarcomatoid mesothelioma, and it was really a game changer. It’s the first sort of hope we’ve had for this more aggressive disease.”
— Dr. Andrea Wolf, mesothelioma specialist at Mount Sinai Hospital
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy uses X-rays to shrink sarcomatoid tumors and prevent their spread. This therapy can potentially improve patient prognosis when used with other treatments.
Mesothelioma Surgery
Surgery involves removing mesothelioma tumors and some of the healthy surrounding tissue. Surgery for sarcomatoid mesothelioma is only used in select cases.
“It’s very, very, very rare that sarcomatoid mesothelioma patients come to surgery because this type is so aggressive. If a sarcomatoid patient has a good response to systemic therapy like chemotherapy, then we can offer surgery.”
— Dr. Deepa Magge, mesothelioma specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Palliative Treatments
Palliative care focuses on relieving symptoms of sarcomatoid mesothelioma and improving quality of life. Low doses of chemotherapy and minor surgeries can help manage pain, slow tumor growth, and improve breathing.
Emerging Treatments
Doctors continue to study new treatments for sarcomatoid mesothelioma in clinical trials. In the recent ATOMIC-Meso trial, patients with sarcomatoid or biphasic mesothelioma received a targeted therapy called pegargiminase and chemotherapy.
Patients lived for 9.3 months on average, and the cancer stopped growing for 6.2 months on average, thanks to this treatment.
Connect with our registered nurses now to get help finding the best sarcomatoid mesothelioma doctors and treatments for you.
- Find Top Doctors and Treatments
- Connect You With Clinical Trials
- Answer Medical Questions
Amy Fair
20+ Years Helping
Mesothelioma Patients
Compensation Options for Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with sarcomatoid mesothelioma, you may be able to seek compensation to help cover medical expenses, lost wages, and more.
You can pursue mesothelioma compensation through:
- Mesothelioma lawsuits: These legal claims pay $1 million or more, with the first payouts often arriving in 90 days or less.
- Asbestos trust fund claims: Trust funds contain over $30 billion and allow asbestos victims to seek compensation without going to court.
- VA benefits: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) awards a wide range of benefits to veterans with mesothelioma, including compensation worth over $4,000 a month and free or low-cost medical care.
Contact us now to learn if you may qualify for mesothelioma compensation. Our team can determine your eligibility and help you quickly seek a payout.
Get Help After a Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma Diagnosis
Receiving a sarcomatoid mesothelioma diagnosis can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to go through it alone.
If you’re facing sarcomatoid mesothelioma, Lung Cancer Group is here to assist you and your family.
Work with us to:
- Better understand your diagnosis
- Find top treatments and doctors near you
- Get advice from our caring and dedicated nurses
- Seek compensation to help cover your expenses
Call (877) 446-5767 or connect with our mesothelioma nurses now. Our team is ready to help you every step of the way.
Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma FAQs
What is the prognosis for sarcomatoid mesothelioma?
The average prognosis for sarcomatoid mesothelioma is about 4-7 months.
That said, how long you’ll live varies depending on factors like:
- Available treatments
- Mesothelioma stage at time of diagnosis
- Where the cancer develops in your body
In some cases, sarcomatoid mesothelioma patients have greatly outlived average survival times thanks to the right treatment plan.
Contact us now for help finding and affording treatments following a sarcomatoid mesothelioma diagnosis.
What causes sarcomatoid mesothelioma?
The only known cause of sarcomatoid mesothelioma is asbestos exposure. Asbestos causes all types of mesothelioma.
“If there’s no asbestos, there’s no mesothelioma, it’s that simple,” says mesothelioma specialist Dr. Raja Flores. “If you have mesothelioma, and you say, ‘Well, I’ve never been exposed to asbestos,’ you were exposed — you just don’t know where or when.”
Most patients develop sarcomatoid mesothelioma 10-50 years after initial exposure.
What is the survival rate of sarcomatoid mesothelioma?
The 5-year survival rate for sarcomatoid mesothelioma is just 4%. This is because sarcomatoid cells are very aggressive and can spread quickly through the body, making the cancer harder to treat.
Still, treatments may help you or a loved one with sarcomatoid mesothelioma live longer. Call (877) 446-5767 for help exploring therapies.
What is sarcomatoid mesothelioma stage 4 like?
There are four stages of pleural sarcomatoid mesothelioma, with the fourth stage being the most advanced.
In cases of stage 4 sarcomatoid mesothelioma, patients have very noticeable symptoms like coughing up blood, difficulty breathing, and weight loss.
Has anyone ever recovered from mesothelioma?
Complete recovery from cases of sarcomatoid mesothelioma is rare. That said, you may be able to achieve remission (where cancer signs reduce or disappear) depending on how your body responds to treatments.
Some patients have lived for several years or more after a sarcomatoid mesothelioma diagnosis thanks to their treatment plan.
Get in touch with our mesothelioma nurses to find treatments that could help you live longer with sarcomatoid mesothelioma.
What is the most aggressive mesothelioma?
Sarcomatoid mesothelioma is considered the most aggressive form of this cancer. Sarcomatoid mesothelioma cells are spindle-shaped, so they don’t stick together and are more likely to spread through the body.
With that said, long-term survival could be possible if the cancer is caught early and responds well to treatments.
