Spontaneous Regression Of Cancer Research Articles

Spontaneous regression of cancer: a review of cases reported in Indian literature

Spontaneous regression of tumors is an exceptional response in the absence of standard treatment for the disease. The associated mechanisms are not completely understood, however immune modulation has been indicated to be the most probable process for spontaneous regression. Summarizing and analyzing the available information of these cases may aid in developing effective and safe therapeutic modalities for cancer. This review investigates the spontaneous regression cases reported in India during the period of 1988 to 2022. We conducted an online search (Google and Pubmed) using the keywords “spontaneous regression, cancer, India” for reports from India. All reports in the relevant literature were investigated for the criteria of spontaneous regression by Everson and Cole. 18 cases were defined as spontaneous regression and are reviewed in this article. The available information regarding patient demography, diagnosis, treatments and follow-up has been summarized. Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common type among 18 cases. 12 cases showed complete regression of tumor whereas 5 of them were partially regressed. Only 4 cases received chemotherapy and rest were not treated with any conventional anticancer treatment. An attempt has been made to delineate the mechanisms for SR proposed by the investigators. Acquiring data of more cases and more detailed information will definitely help us understand the mechanism of regression, providing an opportunity to improve cancer immunotherapy strategies.

Spontaneous regression of advanced transverse colon cancer with deficient mismatch repair: a case report

BackgroundSpontaneous regression (SR) of cancer occurs in 1 in 60,000–100,000 patients. This phenomenon has been reported in almost all cancer types, most commonly neuroblastoma, renal cell carcinoma, malignant melanoma, and lymphoma/leukemia. However, SR in colorectal cancer (CRC) is extremely rare, particularly in advanced cases. Hence, this report describes a very rare case of spontaneous regression of advanced transverse colon cancer.Case presentationA 76-year-old female with anemia was diagnosed with a type II well-differentiated adenocarcinoma in the middle transverse colon. Two months later, a second colonoscopy examination was performed for preoperative marking, and it revealed tumor shrinkage and a shift to type 0–IIc morphology. Endoscopic tattooing was then performed, followed by a laparoscopic partial resection of the transverse colon with D3 lymph node dissection. However, the resected specimen contained no tumor, and colonoscopy showed no tumor remnants in the remaining colon. Histopathological examination revealed mucosal regeneration and a mucus nodule in between the submucosal and muscular layers, with no cancer cells detected. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed the loss of MutL homolog 1 (MLH1) and postmeiotic segregation increased 2 (PMS2) expression in the cancer cells of biopsied specimens, suggesting deficient mismatch repair (dMMR). The patient continues to be followed up until 6 years postoperatively, and no recurrence has been observed. In this study, we also reviewed similar reported cases of spontaneous regression of cancer involving dMMR.ConclusionThis study presents a rare case of spontaneous regression of advanced transverse colon cancer wherein dMMR is strongly involved. However, further accumulation of similar cases is needed to elucidate this phenomenon and to develop new treatment strategies for CRC.

Spontaneous regression of biologically aggressive breast carcinoma: A case report

The spontaneous regression of cancer is the partial or complete remission of a tumor without treatment, and this has been linked to trauma and infection. The present case details the rare spontaneous regression of a triple negative Grade III ductal carcinoma in the breast. The findings suggest that in our case, this may have been triggered by biopsy and marker clip deployment, and it highlights the importance of being aware of this unusual occurrence so timely diagnosis can be made without causing undue anxiety in patients.

Spontaneous Regression of Cancer: Revealing Granulocytes and Oxidative Stress as the Crucial Double-edge Sword.

It is commonly believed that cancer development is irreversible, organ-specific as well as systemic malignant disorder, often associated with harmful oxidative stress and inflammation. However, there are also well-documented cases of spontaneous cancer regression, the causative mechanisms of which are not understood. It is known that inflammation is a negative pathophysiological process that may support the development of cancer, but it is also believed that the immune system as well as oxidative stress play important roles in prevention of cancer development and defense against tumor progression. Hence, in animal models spontaneous regression of cancer could be mediated by rapid inflammatory response of granulocytes, acting against cancer mostly as innate immune response. In addition, the administration of granulocytes at the site of solid tumors can lead to tumor regression or can slow down tumor growth and extend the overall survival of animals. In both cases, similar to the radiotherapy, surgery and various chemotherapies, oxidative stress occurs generating lipid peroxidation product 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE). This "second messenger of free radicals" acts as growth regulating signaling molecule that exerts relatively selective cytotoxicity against cancer cells. We hypothesize that abundant inflammation and metabolic changes caused by cancer and oxidative stress producing of 4-HNE may be crucial mechanisms for spontaneous cancer regression.

Spontaneous regression of breast carcinoma: A radio-pathological case report and review of the literature

Spontaneous regression (SR) is defined as complete or partial disappearance of a proven malignant tumor without adequate medical treatment. Although there have been reports on SR of breast cancers, this phenomenon remains rare. We report a case of SR of breast cancer in a 62-year-old woman who presented to our hospital with a few months history of a painless breast lump. Initial radiological investigations reveal a suspicious mass in the left upper outer quadrant. Histopathology confirms the presence of invasive cancer. The patient initially refused any surgical or medical interventional and defaulted follow-up. The patient presented again after four months with consent for surgical treatment. Repeat ultrasound just before the hook wire localization procedure demonstrated the absence of tumor in the region of interest. The subsequent repeat mammogram and MRI also demonstrated complete regression of breast cancer. MRI however, does reveal a suspicious left axillary lymph node, which was also deemed suspicious on PET-CT. In view of these findings, the patient was counsel for surgery. The exact mechanism of SR of cancer remains unclear in our patient. We are unable to identify the exact mechanism triggering and influencing the SR in our patient. Our hypotheses include substance within the herbal remedies or a carcinoma-directed immune response triggered by the biopsy. Further research is needed to determine causes for spontaneous regressions of cancer and towards finding a possible cure for cancer.

Spontaneous Regression of Mismatch Repair-Deficient Colon Cancer: A Case Series

Spontaneous regression of cancer is a rare phenomenon, with 33 colorectal cancer cases reported between 1900 and 2020.1-4 Spontaneous regression is defined as the partial or complete disappearance of a tumor without treatment.1,3 Several factors may be involved in this process, including biopsy, mechanical stress, humoral factors, and infection.1,5 However, no concrete evidence for the mechanistic insights has been indicated.

Case: Causation vs. correlation: Naturopathic medicine vs. natural history of a disease.

Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is the fourth most common type of cancer and arises from the urogenital epithelial. Between 5% and 10% of primary UC originate from renal pelvis and ureters and are collectively called upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). The estimated annual incidence of UTUC in Canada is 1–2/100 000.1 It most commonly affects patients in the sixth and seventh decade of life with a male predominance. In developed countries, tobacco smoking is the greatest risk factor. UTUC is often multifocal, as the entire urothelial surface is affected by the same carcinogen. 2 The gold standard treatment of localized UTUC is a radical nephroureterectomy due to the frequent occurrence of synchronous or metachronous tumours. For patients with high-risk disease (i.e., T3–T4 and/or patients with positive lymph nodes), adjuvant chemotherapy is also suggested.2 Postoperative recurrences are common. In general, bladder recurrence occurs in 22–47%, while extravesical recurrences occur in 0–12% of patients with UTUC.1 Naturopathic treatments have frequently been mentioned in the context of “curing” cancer. However, there are limited studies that follow up on these numerous treatment options and the studies that are available often are unreliable or invalid.3 Therefore, many of these rare cases are generally attributed to the spontaneous regression of cancer. We present a case of a patient with UTUC who had a local recurrence following definitive therapy and experienced resolution of cancer following a naturopathic treatment option.

Is It Possible To Induce The "Spontaneous Regression" Of Cancer? A Mechanism of Activation for the Innate Immune Response

The article deals with a theoretical model  of the mechanism of the spontaneous regression of tumor, involving the activation of innate immune response. After stimulation the cells of the immune system, use glycolysis for ATP synthesis.  Lactic acid, the final product of glycolysis, acts as inhibitor of such activation. Therefore, highly glycolytic cancerous cells form the environment (hypoglycemia with high level of lactic acid), which is strongly inhibitory to immune cells activation. Starvation, KD (ketogenic diet) and Coley’s toxin induce hypoglycemia and in the long term should also lower lactic acid level. After a few days of such treatment the glucose level could increase naturally due to gluconeogenesis or by the application of significant dose of glucose. Such procedure should induce activation of immune cells response (high glucose and low lactic acid levels) and a spontaneous regression of cancer. If lactic acid concentration remained still too high and thus inhibit the activation of immune cells, the organism would require alkalization because sodium lactate is not inhibitory to the activation of immune cells. The model explains the cases of spontaneous regression described in literature and could be easily verified experimentally.

Spontaneous regression of tumour and the role of microbial infection--possibilities for cancer treatment.

This review deals with the role of microorganisms in spontaneous regression of a tumour. Spontaneous cancer regression is a phenomenon that has been described for many centuries. One of the most well known methods of inducing spontaneous regression of cancer is the application of Coley’s toxin (heat-killed Streptococcus pyogenes and Serratia marcescens), which has been used for the successful treatment of sarcomas, carcinomas, lymphomas, myelomas and melanomas. In clinical practice, the use of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine for the treatment of superficial urinary bladder cancer is the most common instance of the application of microorganisms for the treatment of cancer. This review provides further information on other tested bacteria – Clostridium spp., Bifidobacterium spp., Lactobacillus spp. and Salmonella spp. – in this field of study. Among new age methods, bactofection, alternative gene therapy, combination bacteriolytic therapy and bacteria-directed enzyme prodrug therapy are some of the potential cancer treatment modalities that use microorganisms. We have also provided information about the interconnection among microorganisms, immune system response, and the possible mechanisms involved in the spontaneous regression of tumours.

Spontaneous Regression of Cancer, an Ever Actual Inspiration for the New Cancer Treatment

Spontaneous regression (SR) of cancer (or remissions as in the case of the hematopoietic system cancer e.g. leukemia) is defined Everson and Coles book as the partial or complete disappearance of a malignant tumor in the absence of all treatment or in the presence of therapy which is considered inadequate to exert significant influence on neoplastic disease.

Spontaneous Regression of Colorectal Liver Metastases

Spontaneous regression of cancer is a rare phenomenon, often of obscure etiology. We present the case of a 51-year-old female patient, whose colorectal liver metastases, diagnosed by CT scan and confirmed by MRI and per-operative US scan, underwent spontaneous necrosis, as demonstrated by pathological examination. She was submitted to left colectomy, splenectomy and total hysterectomy six years earlier followed by adjuvant chemotherapy, as treatment of the primary tumour (adenocarcinoma of the splenic angle of the colon, staged as pT3,N1,M0). She underwent a right hepatectomy to treat liver metastases, located in the segments VIII and V/VI of the liver; to date, she remains asymptomatic and disease-free. We hope this case may contribute to the characterization of a subset of patients whose malignancy spontaneously regresses, which may prove decisive in the development of new strategies for cancer treatment.

The Exceptional Patient in Cancer Care

Focus Area: Mental Health The topic of the exceptional patient with cancer has been a puzzling mystery, and the phenomenon has not been formally investigated. The rare and spectacular occurrence of remarkable recovery, against all odds, that is totally inexplicable but real is something that most physicians have seen within their practice. From time to time, patients turn up with advanced cancer, beyond the possibility of cure, and without clear explanation they become free of disease or have survival that cannot be explained with the nature of their disease or treatment. Exceptional disease course and at times spontaneous regression of cancer is exceptional but a well-documented biological event. Further understanding of this phenomenon and of the possible mechanisms involved may have significant preventative and therapeutic implications. To date, the research that has examined these success stories is limited and there is no clear explanation for the phenomenon. Multiple speculations as to the mechanism...

Spontaneous regression of non-small cell lung cancer that progressed after multiple chemotherapies: A case report.

Spontaneous regression (SR) of cancer is defined as a complete or partial, temporary or permanent disappearance of all or at least some relevant parameters of malignant disease with inadequate or no treatment. SR of cancer is an extremely rare phenomenon. We report a case of a 67-year-old man who experienced SR of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which progressed after fifth-line chemotherapy and regressed after chemotherapy ceased. Surprisingly, the primary tumor size continued to decrease for more than 13 months and his general condition markedly improved after discontinuation of the chemotherapy. To our knowledge, this is the first report of SR in a patient with NSCLC that was not responsive to a fifth round of chemotherapy.

Spontaneous complete regression of multiple metastases of hepatocellular carcinoma: A case report

Spontaneous regression of cancer is a partial or complete disappearance of malignant tumor without specific treatment. Spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare condition, and the mechanism underlying it is unclear. This report presents a rare case of spontaneous complete regression of HCC, as revealed by tumor markers and imaging studies. A 64-year-old Korean male patient with hepatitis B virus-associated chronic hepatitis presented with HCC. The patient had undergone right lobectomy of the liver but the cancer recurred with multiple lung and adrenal metastases after 14 months. The patient received palliative cytotoxic chemotherapy. However, there was no clinical benefit and the disease progressed. It was decided to discontinue anticancer therapy and administer only supportive care. After approximately six months, the symptoms disappeared and the HCC had completely regressed. The patient remains alive over five years after recurrence.

Cancer – Could it be Cured? A Spontaneous Regression of Cancer, Cancer Energy Metabolism, Hyperglycemia-Hypoglycemia, Metformin, Warburg and Crabtree Effects and a New Perspective in Cancer Treatment

The spontaneous regression of cancer is still a mysterious phenomenon but an understanding of it, at least partially, could lead to new and better cancer treatment. On the basis of new data concerning cancer energy biochemistry, the authors here present a hypothesis to understand and explain the phenomenon of the spontaneous regression of cancer, together with its implications for new approaches to cancer treatment. Such treatment involves the manipulation of the energy metabolism and/or redox status of cancer cells.

The Adaptation Model of Immunity

Although 'self-nonself' and 'danger' theories have improved our understanding of the immune system, successful immunotherapy of cancer and many autoimmune diseases still remain far from reach. This indicates that our knowledge of how the immune system decides to respond effectively or ineffectively is limited. Emerging evidence suggest that decision-making during the immune response is not solely determined by 'nonself' entity of the antigen or damage-associated 'danger' signals. This article provides an overview of the 'self-nonself' and 'danger' models, and suggests that 'adaptation' signals are needed to guarantee immunological tolerance that has been observed during the immune response toward 'self', 'nonself' or even 'danger'. This should be facilitated by dynamic expression of adapting receptors (ARs) and adapting ligands on cells of the immune system and other somatic cells. Any alterations in the expression of ARs on certain tissues would result in tissue-specific autoimmune diseases or spontaneous regression of cancer. Identification of such ARs and their nominal adapting ligands could lead to the discovery of currently unknown receptors and their implications in the treatment of cancer, solid organ transplantation and autoimmune diseases.

Spontaneous Regression of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in a Patient with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Case Report

Treatment of lung cancer in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is difficult because the mortality rate after surgery or chemotherapy is high for these patients. Spontaneous regression of cancer is rare, especially in lung cancer. A 62-year-old man, previously diagnosed with IPF, presented with stage IIIC (T2N3M0) non-small cell lung cancer. About 4 months later, spontaneous regression of the primary tumor was observed without treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of spontaneous regression of lung cancer in a patient with IPF.

18A. The Exceptional Patient in Cancer Care

Focus Area: Mental HealthThe topic of the exceptional patient with cancer has been a puzzling mystery, and the phenomenon has not been formally investigated. The rare and spectacular occurrence of remarkable recovery, against all odds, that is totally inexplicable but real is something that most physicians have seen within their practice. From time to time, patients turn up with advanced cancer, beyond the possibility of cure, and without clear explanation they become free of disease or have survival that cannot be explained with the nature of their disease or treatment. Exceptional disease course and at times spontaneous regression of cancer is exceptional but a well-documented biological event.Further understanding of this phenomenon and of the possible mechanisms involved may have significant preventative and therapeutic implications. To date, the research that has examined these success stories is limited and there is no clear explanation for the phenomenon. Multiple speculations as to the mechanism of exceptional disease course have focused on physiological factors including immunological, elimination of carcinogen or antigen, anti-angiogenesis and tumor necrosis, apoptosis, and genetic and epigenetic mechanisms and possibly psychological mechanisms. Others note that a certain percentage of patients have undergone some kind of spiritual awakening before the remission took place, suggesting that the patients themselves had an important role in the healing process. Much of the literature is based on individual case reports.In this presentation, we will discuss current research findings and additional research being implemented on this topic.

Factors related to the spontaneous regression of cancer

The goal of the present editorial is to remind us of a very rare phenomenon in medicine, which is the spontaneous regression of cancer.Factors related to this type of regression are mentioned. Among them are the following: Infections Fever and therapeutic hyperthermia Hormonal factors Various other factors Exclusion of inaccurate diagnosis of malignancy of a tumour is essential to the validity of reported cases.

Early adult-onset orbital apex Langerhans cell histiocytosis histologically confirmed during “truly spontaneous” regression

Dear Editor, There are few reports addressing the appearance of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) in the sphenoid sinus and superior orbital fissure region [8], despite many reports of fronto-orbital LCH. We present an early adult case of left orbital apex LCH that was histologically confirmed during spontaneous regression. In the present case, regression was observed before any therapeutic intervention so that the regression in this case can be described for certain as “truly spontaneous” regression, not subsequent to any intervention. A 22-year-old man had an acute intermittent throbbing pain in the left temporal region that lasted for 2 days. After the pain subsided, he developed blurred vision of the left eye. The blurred vision of the left eye improved the following week. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed an enhanced left orbital apex lesion involving the sphenoid sinus (Fig. 1a). Despite gradual regression on follow-up MRI (Fig. 1f–j), optical coherence tomography revealed irreversible retinal damage of the left eye (Fig. 1b). For histological diagnosis to set the therapeutic strategy for the regressing orbital lesion, endoscopic endonasal biopsy confirmed the orbital lesion in the course of regression was LCH (Fig. 1d, e). Systemic work-up showed no further LCH lesions in other regions. This single-system, singlesite LCH has been kept under careful observation and follow-up. The orbital LCH shrank back to almost normal structure over 7 months after the regression occurred. While five reports of regressed orbital LCH are available [2–4, 6, 7], in each case, regression occurred after therapeutic interventions such as surgery or biopsy. Among them, our case is the first of adult LCH with spontaneous regression. We also have a paediatric case of regressed isolated neurohypophyseal LCH with diabetes insipidus [5], in which regression occurred after biopsy. Although “spontaneous regression” is often used in case reports of various fields, “truly spontaneous” regression is, in reality, extremely rare [9]. Differential diagnosis of lesions involving the orbital wall includes dermoid cysts, lymphangioma, mucocele, meningioma, tumours of the lachrymal gland, primary bone and soft tissue tumours, and metastases [10]. Adult onset LCH, though rare, should be included in the differential diagnosis of lytic lesions of the lateral orbital wall in an adult patient. Histopathological confirmation is crucial in fluctuating orbital lesions like in this case, because exclusion diagnosis from malignancies or from potentially recurrent lesions should be given. Spontaneous regression of cancer is well K. Satoh :Y. Yoneoka (*) Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, 1-757 Asahimachi-dori, Niigata 951-8585, Japan e-mail: yone@bri.niigata-u.ac.jp