Spontaneous Regression Of A Metastatic Liver Tumor: Report Of A Case.
Ikuta, S., Miki, C., Ookura, E., Tonouchi, H., & Kusunoki, M. (2002). spontaneous regression of a metastatic liver tumor: report of a case. Surgery today, 32(9), 844–848. https://doi.org/10.1007/s005950200165
View Original Source →Abstract
A 60-year-old man, who suffered from advanced rectal cancer accompanied with liver metastasis, underwent an abdominoperineal resection and a partial hepatectomy. He remained well until 4 months after surgery when he developed a biopsy-proven recurrent intrapelvic mass and multiple liver tumors. At 6 months after surgery, the metastatic liver tumors grew larger and almost completely occupied both lobes of the liver. However, 9 months after surgery, the liver tumors regressed remarkably and his clinical condition improved without any specific treatment for cancer. Although he died of cancerous peritonitis 18 months after surgery, the autopsy findings did not indicate any apparent regrowth of the liver tumors. To date, only one case report of a spontaneous regression of a metastatic liver tumor from colorectal cancer has been published in the English literature. We herein describe this rare case and discuss some of the reasons potentially responsible for the regression.
Case Details
Disease Location
Colon + liver mets
Personal Characteristics
60-year-old man
Clinical Characteristics
Altered bowel habit and weight loss. Physical examination revealed a hard mass-like lesion in the lower rectum, and colonoscopy showed a localized tumor at 3 cm distant from the anal verge. At ultrasound, a space-occupying lesion was seen in the left lateral segment of the liver. Using contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT), this lesion appeared to be a solid tumor with a largest diameter of 3cm, and was located in segment iii. CEA and ca-19.9 were high. A histopathological examination confirmed the rectal tumour to be adenosquamous cell carcinoma, and the liver tumor was consistent with metastatic adenosquamous cell carcinoma. Six months after surgery, the liver tumors grew larger and occupied both lobes of the liver. Seventeen months after surgery, the patient was readmitted due to wasting secondary to massive ascites and died.
Remission Characteristics
Nine months after surgery, the patient stated that he was feeling well, and reported a weight gain of 5 kg. The CT of the abdomen showed a remarkable regression of liver tumors in both lobes
Treatment & Mechanisms
Proposed Remission Mechanisms
Extensive tumor necrosis
Clinical Treatment
Abdominalominoperineal resection and a partial resection of the left lateral segment