Spontaneous Regression Of Colorectal Cancer Metastatic To Retroperitoneal Lymph Nodes.
Bir, A. S., Fora, A. A., Levea, C., & Fakih, M. G. (2009). spontaneous regression of colorectal cancer metastatic to retroperitoneal lymph nodes. Anticancer research, 29(2), 465–468.
View Original Source →Abstract
Spontaneous remissions have been reported in solid tumors such as melanoma and renal cell cancer. However, spontaneous remissions in colon cancer have not been previously radiographically confirmed. A case of colon cancer metastatic to the retroperitoneal lymph nodes that exhibited a durable spontaneous regression is reported. The exact trigger of this phenomenon has not been elucidated; however, an antitumor immune response is the most likely explanation. The identification and characterization of similar cases would probably result in defining a patient population that can be followed by observation and may result in the development of novel therapeutic strategies.
Case Details
Disease Location
Colorectal
Personal Characteristics
86-year old caucasian female presented for treatment following a hemicolectomy; pathology review showed t3n0 adenocarcinoma
Clinical Characteristics
T3n0 adenocarcinoma with nine lymph nodes evaluationuated, malignant glands surrounded by dense infiltrate; no metastatic disease; CT scan 8 months after initial presentation showed enlarged retropritoneal and aorightocaval lympatienth nodes; 14 months after initial presentation, left aorightocaval lymph node was found to be slightly enlarged and CT scans showed slowly progressive disease; 20 months after initial presentation, retropritoneal lympatienth node measured 3x2.5cm and left aorightocaval node measured 2.5x1.7cm and PET scan suggested metastatic disease
Remission Characteristics
23 months after initial presentation, CT scan showed decrease of retroperitoneal lymph node to 2x1.6cm and the left aorightocaval lymph node decreased to 1.8x1.2cm; 29 months after initial presentation, CT scan showed increase in size of retroperitoneal lymph node to 2.5x1.9cm and aorightocaval lymph node to 2.9x2.2cm and biopsy showed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, similar to original colonic adenocarcinoma; 33 months after initial presentation, CT scan showed decrease again in periaortic node to 1.2 cm
Treatment & Mechanisms
Proposed Remission Mechanisms
Possible autoimmune response, unconfirmed