Spontaneous Regression of Pulmonary Metastases of a Hypernephroma

Abstract

A discussion of the disappearance of pulmonary metastasis after nephrectomy for hypernephroma is presented along with a review of the phenomenon in several cases reported to the author in personal communications. A discussion of eight cases is presented.

Case Details

Personal Characteristics

Mrs. Eve m., 52 years old

Clinical Characteristics

Discharge from the left lung, pains in the mid-thorax region, metastatic shadows in both pulmonary fields, asymptomatic tumor on the superior pole of the left kidney, suspect shadows in the lungs, malignant tumor of the left kidney, grawitz tumor with neoplastic lesions in the left renal vein, suspicious parahilar opacity without an abnormal shadow in the pulmonary fields

Remission Characteristics

Spontaneous regression of the suspect shadows which, in the spring of 1980 totally disappeared

Treatment & Mechanisms

Proposed Remission Mechanisms

Fever, infection, especially tubercular infection, trauma of operation, diminution of blood flow to secondary sites, suppression by nephrectomy of an unknown cancerogenic factor, hormonal factors, immunological factors

Clinical Treatment

Left nephrectomy

Additional Notes

In some cases, histological proof of the metastatic nature of the lesions is absent; it is impossible to know the number of cases in which clinical and radiological pulmonary metastases exist, and neoplastic sites can remain quiescent for a large number of years. The relationship between nephrectomy and regression of metastases is not obvious since, in some cases, regression preceded nephrectomy.