Spontaneous regression of an untreated lung cancer

Abstract

Spontaneous regression of malignancies have been documented, but it is a rare phenomenon. Most of such cases have been neuroblastoma, renal cell carcinoma or lymphoid tissue malignancies. This phenomenon has been recorded in few cases of Lung cancer also. Here we present a case of small cell lung cancer which was diagnosed with certainty. Patient did not take any treatment except the symptomatic one. As patient kept on living, and also improving, he was further investigated. Follow up X-Ray chest, Computed tomography scan showed total clearance of the tumour. Immuno-histochemistry of previous histology slides reconfirmed the diagnosis of Lung cancer. Though 8 cases of spontaneous regression of lung cancer have been reported in world literature, this is the first case which diagnosis and regression of lung cancer are confirmed without any doubts by various modalities. Many theories have been propagated to explain this phenomenon but none is proven so far. If mechanism of this phenomenon could be known, we can hope to find the cure of cancer.