Sarcomatoid is a term used to describe cancer cells that look similar to those found in sarcoma. However, sarcomatoid cells are not true sarcoma cells, and the tumour is usually another type of cancer called carcinoma. Sarcomatoid cells may also be described as spindle cells because they are longer than they are wide and have tapered ends.
Sarcomatoid cells are important because tumours with these cells tend to behave more aggressively than tumours without them. Sarcomatoid is not a diagnosis on its own. Rather, it is a descriptive term that can be used for any tumour that starts to look like a sarcoma.
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