spontaneous REGRESSION OF BRONCHOGENIC CARCINOMA WITH FIVE YEAR SURVIVAL

Case Details

Disease Location

Left pleural space

Personal Characteristics

37-year-old white male smoked 1.5 packs of cigarettes daily since age 17

Clinical Characteristics

Exertion dyspnea for 6 months, which had rapidly progressed had been treated for chronic duodenal ulcer, requiring gastric surgery 3 years before present illness physical exam normal, except for dullness & decreased breath sounds in left upper & mid-lung fields admission chest film interpreted as showing large masses distributed in left upper thorax associated with pleural effusion pathological exam of left scalene fat pad revealed only hyperplastic lymph nodes left thoracotomy found pleural space to be extensively involved with tumor implants (1-3 cm, grayish white, homogenous pleural symphysis over most of lower lobes diagnosed as epidermoid carcinoma

Remission Characteristics

Patient's first return for evaluation (5.5 mths after discharge) revealed essentially complete clearing of tumor opacities present upon discharge weight gain of 40 lbs & complete absence of chest pains last seen apr 7, 1964 in excellent health

Treatment & Mechanisms

Proposed Remission Mechanisms

First possible factor is patient's high postoperative fever (peak of 103.2 f) patient also expressed he had intermittent chills in first months after returning home second possible factor is effect of radiation--> irradiation in range of 1200 roentgens given while patient was febrile

Clinical Treatment

Radiation begun to upper half of posterior left chest & 2100 roentgens measured in air were given to a field measuring 15 x 18 cm over 13 days anterior portal 14x14 cm in same area was started 13 days later, 1500 roentgens in air given in 6 days

Non-Clinical Treatment

Post radiation discharge, patient developed positive attitude toward survival (ate very frequently) volunteered to do manual labor on a farm to be outdoors gained weight & developed increasing strength & well-being