Spontaneous Regression In Non-hodgkins Lymphoma
Cancer 45(10): May 15 1980; 2627-2632
View Original Source →Abstract
We report a case of complete, spontaneous remission of primary CNS lymphoma that occurred within twenty-seven weeks of onset and which, by CT and clinical data, lasted approximately one year before relapse. To our knowledge, this is the first such reported case in the literature and it lends further support to the notion that CNS lymphoma is a heterogeneous disorder. At the very least, it is clearly capricious in its natural history.
Case Details
Clinical Characteristics
Complete, partial or minor spontaneous regression was found in 18 out of 140 cases with nodular lymphoma and in 2 out of 69 cases with diffuse lymphoma. It occurred in previously treated and untreated patients and in nodal and extranodal disease; the duration varied from a few weeks to many years but lasted one year or more in 7 cases with complete or partial spontaneous regression.
Remission Characteristics
Spontaneous regression occurs far more frequently in nodular lymphoma than in the diffuse type. Within the nodular lymphoma group, spontaneous regression is associated with long survival.
Treatment & Mechanisms
Proposed Remission Mechanisms
Not discussed
Additional Notes
The study analyzed 209 cases of non-Hodgkins lymphoma retrospectively for the occurrence of spontaneous regression.