Carcinosarcoma of the prostate. A case report and a possible evidence on the role of hormonal therapy.

A case of prostatic carcinosarcoma is presented with histopathologic and immunohistochemical characteristics. A 70-year-old man presented with a history of anti-androgen (cyproterone acetate) therapy for prostatic adenocarcinoma. Diffuse and strong staining for progesterone receptor was observed in the carcinosarcoma specimen although it was completely negative in the previous adenocarcinoma specimen. It may be speculated that hormonal therapy might have facilitated the selection of a progesterone-dependent subclone of tumor cells with the ability of mesenchymal differentiation and that genetic instability due to p53 inactivation might have played a role in this process.