Combination of epirubicin and cyclophosphamide for the treatment of advanced pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma: A case report and literature review

Pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma (PSC) is a rare and atypical subset of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) characterized by its aggressive nature, poor prognosis, and limited responsiveness to conventional therapeutic modalities. The effectiveness of chemotherapy in managing PSC remains controversial, with platinum-based regimens often yielding unsatisfactory outcomes in advanced PSC patients. Herein, we present a male patient with PSC who did not have a driver gene mutation or express the programmed death ligand 1. He received combination chemotherapy of epirubicin and cyclophosphamide for the first time, which resulted in progression-free survival for seven months and a noteworthy partial tumor response. These findings suggest that the combination of epirubicin and cyclophosphamide might prove promising as a therapeutic option for patients diagnosed with PSC. Nevertheless, the significance of this novel approach necessitates further validation through high-quality clinical trials.