The Treatment Of Neuroblastoma With Vitamin B12

Abstract

A critical review is made of the cases of spontaneous regression of malignant tumours referred in the literature. Three personal cases are described, concerning: a) a 2-year-old baby with large laterocervical metastases of mediastinic neuroblastoma, spontaneously regressed for five years; b) a baby of few months, with laterocervical metastases of neuroblastoma (the site of the primary tumor not discovered) spontaneously regressed for 4 years; c) a 26-year-old woman, hysterectomized for chorioepithelioma, with pulmonary, vaginal and subcutaneous metastases, regressed for 7 years. Spontaneous regressions may be related to ischemic necrosis, to cellular differentiation or to a defensive action of the stroma. A comparison is made between the cytohistological features of the spontaneous and therapeutical regressions: the former show cytolysis, differentiation and connectival reactions, in the latter are more typical the mitotic alterations. Spontaneous healing may be biologically related to endocrine or neurohormonal factors, to general or local immunity phenomena, to sudden variations of the biological balance of the soma, and to other yet unknown stimulations. False regressions concern the cases of erroneous diagnosis, some tumours of biologically doubtful malignancy (Smith’s multiple cutaneous epithelioma, papillary tumours of the ovary), and finally tumours that easily undergo noticeable clinical regressions (hypernephroma). A regression may be simulated also in the cases in which metastases or relapses appear after a very long period of latency. Two interesting personal observations are referred, concerning: a) a lymphogranuloma which remained clinically completely silent during 6 years in a young woman, allowing marriage and a normal delivery; b) an ovarian adenocarcinoma, which gave clinical evidence of pulmonary metastases (operated) 26 years after the ovariectomy. Further studies of the spontaneous regressions of cancer will be useful to understand the great differences of malignancy existing in a same type of tumour, the intrinsic defence powers of some organisms, the biochemical and morphological features of such a defence and the exact mechanism of action of some anticancer substances.