DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Lymph Node Metastasis after Spontaneous Regression of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

  • Jeong, Jae Hwa (Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Dong-A University Hospital, Dong-A University College of Medicine) ;
  • Choi, Pil Jo (Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Dong-A University Hospital, Dong-A University College of Medicine) ;
  • Yi, Jung Hoon (Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Dong-A University Hospital, Dong-A University College of Medicine) ;
  • Jeong, Sang Seok (Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Dong-A University Hospital, Dong-A University College of Medicine) ;
  • Lee, Ki Nam (Department of Radiology, Dong-A University Hospital, Dong-A University College of Medicine)
  • Received : 2018.09.07
  • Accepted : 2018.11.01
  • Published : 2019.04.05

Abstract

Spontaneous regression of lung cancer is a very rare and poorly understood phenomenon. A 64-year-old man presented to Dong-A University Hospital with a shrunken nodule in the right lower lobe. Although the nodule showed a high likelihood of malignancy on needle aspiration biopsy, the patient refused surgery. The nodule spontaneously regressed completely in the next 17 months. However, the subcarinal lymph node was found to be enlarged 16 months after complete regression was observed. We pathologically confirmed metastasis of squamous cell carcinoma and performed neoadjuvant chemotherapy, surgery, and adjuvant chemoradiation. Regardless of tumor size reduction, it is preferable to perform surgery aggressively in cases of operable lung cancer.

Keywords

References

  1. Cole WH, Everson TC. Spontaneous regression of cancer: preliminary report. Ann Surg 1956;144:366-83. https://doi.org/10.1097/00000658-195609000-00007
  2. Kumar T, Patel N, Talwar A. Spontaneous regression of thoracic malignancies. Respir Med 2010;104:1543-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2010.04.026
  3. Kappauf H, Gallmeier WM, Wunsch PH, et al. Complete spontaneous remission in a patient with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer: case report, review of the literature, and discussion of possible biological pathways involved. Ann Oncol 1997;8:1031-9. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008209618128
  4. Stoll BA. Spontaneous regression of cancer: new insights. Biotherapy 1992;4:23-30. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02171706
  5. Marques C, Queiroga H, Marques M, Moura C. Spontaneous regression of a pulmonary adenocarcinoma after core needle biopsy. Autops Case Rep 2017;7:20-5. https://doi.org/10.4322/acr.2017.025
  6. Liang HL, Xue CC, Li CG. Regression of squamous cell carcinoma of the lung by Chinese herbal medicine: a case with an 8-year follow-up. Lung Cancer 2004;43:355-60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lungcan.2003.08.035
  7. Menon MP, Eaton KD. Spontaneous regression of non-small-cell lung cancer in AIDS after immune reconstitution. J Thorac Oncol 2015;10:e1-2. https://doi.org/10.1097/JTO.0000000000000236
  8. Lopez-Pastorini A, Plones T, Brockmann M, Ludwig C, Beckers F, Stoelben E. Spontaneous regression of non-small cell lung cancer after biopsy of a mediastinal lymph node metastasis: a case report. J Med Case Rep 2015;9:217. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13256-015-0702-9

Cited by

  1. Spontaneous regression of ALK fusion protein-positive non-small cell lung carcinoma: a case report and review of the literature vol.20, pp.1, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12890-020-01249-w
  2. LncRNA WT1-AS/miR-494-3p Regulates Cell Proliferation, Apoptosis, Migration and Invasion via PTEN/PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer vol.14, 2019, https://doi.org/10.2147/ott.s278233