Abstract
IntroductionSpontaneous regression of a malignant tumor is defined as “the partial or complete disappearance of a malignant tumor in the absence of any treatment.” Herein, we report a case of occult breast cancer with axillary lymph node metastasis that showed spontaneous tumor regression based on the histopathological findings. Presentation of the caseA 67-year-old woman presented with left armpit pain and a lump. Previous examination by another doctor revealed swelling of the left axillary lymph node, but it was difficult to identify the primary lesion. Needle biopsy of the left axillary lymph node revealed malignant tumor tissue with extensive necrosis on histological examination. On initial examination at our hospital, the left axillary lymph node was observed to have shrunk compared to previous observations. Moreover, findings indicated a suspected concentrated cyst in the left breast, with slight contrast enhancement on magnetic resonance imaging. Considering a diagnosis of occult breast cancer with axillary lymph node metastasis, excisional biopsy was performed for the left breast mass and axillary lymph node dissection for left axillary lymph node metastasis. Histological examination revealed a micro adenocarcinoma with lymphocyte infiltration in the left breast, and the viable tumor in the left axillary lymph node had disappeared. The histopathological findings of the primary tumor and dissected lymph nodes suggested the possibility of spontaneous regression of both the primary and metastatic lesions, because effective preoperative therapy was not performed.
Highlights
Spontaneous regression of a malignant tumor is defined as “the partial or complete disappearance of a malignant tumor in the absence of any treatment.” we report a case of occult breast cancer with axillary lymph node metastasis that showed spontaneous tumor regression based on the histopathological findings
Of 47 patients, spontaneous regression was observed in only 4 patients with breast cancer (8.5%) [1]
We found a few cases of spontaneous regression of breast cancer
Summary
Spontaneous regression of a malignant tumor is defined as “the partial or complete disappearance of a malignant tumor in the absence of treatment, or in the presence of therapy that is considered inadequate to exert a significant influence on neoplastic disease” [1]. In Japan, the incidence of breast cancer is the highest among women and 1 of every 11 people have breast cancer, reports of spontaneous regression of breast cancer are extremely rare [2]. We report a case of occult breast cancer with axillary lymph node metastasis that showed spontaneous regression of the malignant tumor considering the histopathological findings, along with a literature review. Needle biopsy revealed a malignant tumor on histological examination. Lymph node metastasis from breast cancer or accessory breast cancer was suspected. The patient was referred to another university hospital, where she was examined using various techniques including mammography, breast ultrasonography, contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan, and bone scintigraphy
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
