Ma JQ, Wang C, Li SN, Zheng Q, Bai J, Ding CX, Zhang YB. Adult liver rhabdomyosarcoma complicated with sarcomatoid carcinoma: A case report. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2026; 18(1): 114745 [DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v18.i1.114745]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Yan-Bing Zhang, Chief Physician, Department of Medical Oncology, Shaanxi Provincial Cancer Hospital, No. 309 Yanta West Road, Xi’an 710061, Shaanxi Province, China. zhang_yb007@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Case Report
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This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Jan 15, 2026 (publication date) through Jan 12, 2026
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Journal Information of This Article
Publication Name
World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology
ISSN
1948-5204
Publisher of This Article
Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
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Ma JQ, Wang C, Li SN, Zheng Q, Bai J, Ding CX, Zhang YB. Adult liver rhabdomyosarcoma complicated with sarcomatoid carcinoma: A case report. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2026; 18(1): 114745 [DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v18.i1.114745]
Jie-Qun Ma, Suo-Ni Li, Qi Zheng, Jie Bai, Yan-Bing Zhang, Department of Medical Oncology, Shaanxi Provincial Cancer Hospital, Xi’an 710061, Shaanxi Province, China
Chen Wang, Cai-Xia Ding, Department of Pathology, Shaanxi Provincial Cancer Hospital, Xi’an 710061, Shaanxi Province, China
Co-corresponding authors: Cai-Xia Ding and Yan-Bing Zhang.
Author contributions: Ma JQ contributed to manuscript writing; Wang C contributed to collection of figures; Li SN contributed to revising the final manuscript; Zheng Q contributed to editing pictures; Bai J contributed to follow-up of the patient; Ding CX contributed to immunohistochemical staining and pathological diagnosis; Zhang YB contributed to diagnosis and treatment of the patient. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript. Ding CX and Zhang YB are co-corresponding authors of this paper. Zhang YB, an oncologist, served as the patient’s attending physician. He was responsible for all clinical decisions regarding the patient, including clinical diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment planning, adverse event management, and follow-up. Ding CX, a pathologist, was responsible for interpreting the immunohistochemical staining of both the first and second biopsy specimens and rendering the final pathological diagnosis. Additionally, she led the writing of the pathological mechanism discussion in the article. Both authors contributed equally to this study.
Supported by Shaanxi Provincial Natural Science Basic Research Program, No. 2020JQ-951.
Informed consent statement: All study participants or their legal guardian provided informed written consent before study enrolment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Yan-Bing Zhang, Chief Physician, Department of Medical Oncology, Shaanxi Provincial Cancer Hospital, No. 309 Yanta West Road, Xi’an 710061, Shaanxi Province, China. zhang_yb007@163.com
Received: September 28, 2025 Revised: November 10, 2025 Accepted: November 27, 2025 Published online: January 15, 2026 Processing time: 107 Days and 13.6 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a type of malignant tumor originating from rhabdomyocytes or mesenchymal cells differentiating into rhabdomyocytes. Hepatic pleomorphic RMS is a rare malignant liver tumor. Hepatic sarcomatoid carcinoma is also a rare epithelial malignant tumor originating from the liver; it is characterized by the coexistence of both carcinomatous and sarcomatoid spindle cell components.
CASE SUMMARY
This paper reports a special case of an elderly woman whose initial liver puncture biopsy showed pleomorphic RMS. After chemotherapy with the vincristine + doxorubicin + cyclophosphamide regimen, the alpha-fetoprotein level increased significantly. Therefore, a second liver puncture was performed, the pathological result of which was hepatic sarcomatoid carcinoma. Next-generation sequencing revealed MET gene amplification with an average copy number of 9 in the tumor tissue; however, both fluorescence in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical tests were negative for MET amplification. The treatment regimen was adjusted to chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy; however, the disease progressed rapidly, and the overall survival was only 6 months.
CONCLUSION
By sharing the diagnosis and treatment process of this patient and reviewing the relevant literature, we aim to help clinicians enhance their understanding of two rare diseases, namely pleomorphic RMS and sarcomatoid carcinoma of the liver.
Core Tip: Pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma and hepatic sarcomatoid carcinoma are both rare malignant liver tumors. This case report highlights the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges of rare hepatic malignancies, particularly, the critical importance of re-biopsy when pathological and clinical diagnoses diverge, illustrating the remarkable histopathological heterogeneity that can occur within hepatic malignancies.
