Burkitt's Lymphoma: Remissions Following Seemingly Non-specific Therapy

Abstract

Long-term remissions observed in four out of eight unselected patients with Burkitt's lymphoma following seemingly non-specific treatment with Septicemine, are described. This is regarded as strong evidence of an effective immunological response.

Case Details

Disease Location

Left maxilla, abdomen

Personal Characteristics

6 -year-old male

Clinical Characteristics

Admitted with a malignant lymphoma involving the left maxilla the loose teeth, some of which had already fallen out, expanded aleolus, and bulging palate were characteristic of burkitt's lymphoma an abdominal mass was also detected and the diagnosis was confirmed histologically septicemine was started, after 2 months of treatment the tumor continued to grow to an enormous size with gross distorightion of the face, and a further biopsy showed areas of living and necrotic tumor tissue since medication was proving ineffective, injections were reduced to one a week 13 months after medication reduction, he developed chicken pox the boy died 2 and a half years after his admission in the bush, there was no evidence death was related to the tumor

Remission Characteristics

2 months later after medication reduction, the abdominal swellings were no longer palpable nine months later after admission, the teeth in the involved jaw had become re-embedded in the bone and appeared to be growing normally the lamina dura round involved teeth had again become radiologically visible nearly 2 years later, he was symptom free except for apurulent cischarge form his left nostril

Treatment & Mechanisms

Proposed Remission Mechanisms

Either the treatment or an immunological mechanism host response to cytotoxic therapy an immunological response to tumor trauma, i.e. Tumor-antibody formation host defense mechanisms

Clinical Treatment

Septicemine

Non-Clinical Treatment

None reported