National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Ovarian carcinosarcoma

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Is ovarian carcinosarcoma typically hereditary?  My mother was recently diagnosed with this type of cancer.  I'm wondering if ovarian carcinosarcoma with a primary sarcoma component is typically seen in genetic conditions.
Ovarian carcinosarcoma is not thought to be due to an inherited gene mutation.[1]  We are aware of one report of a woman with a BRCA2 gene mutation who developed ovarian carcinosarcoma.[2] However, to our knowledge, this cancer typically occurs in women with no family history of ovarian carcinoma or a hereditary cancer syndrome.
Last updated: 10/18/2017

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  1. del Carmen MG, Birrer M, Schorge JO. Carcinosarcoma of the ovary: a review of the literature. Gynecologic Oncology. 2012; 125:271-277. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22155675.
  2. Sonoda Y, Saigo PE, Federici MG, Boyd J. Carcinosarcoma of the ovary in a patient with a germline BRCA2 mutation: evidence for monoclonal origin. Gynecologic Oncology. 2000; 76:226-229. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10637076. Accessed 3/27/2013.