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Spontaneous Regression Of Bronchogenic Carcinoma. Twelve-year Survival

Emerson et al., 1968Lung cancer

Emerson, G. L., Emerson, M. S., Sherwood, C. E., & Terry, R. (1968). spontaneous regression of bronchogenic carcinoma. Twelve-year survival. The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, 55(2), 225–230.

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Case Details

Disease Location

Right lung

Personal Characteristics

63-year-old white male smoked 1/2 pack cigarettes daily since -year-oldung adult

Clinical Characteristics

Developed a running nose, sore throat, hoarseness, fever that developed into malaise & anorexia symptoms increased over 6 weeks with 10 lb weight loss--> diagnosed as acute bronchitis (treated with penicillin & aureomycin) few weeks later, abnormal chest x-ray referred him to hospital for workup physical exam was normal (except for white mucoid sputum withcough) fluoroscopy & multiple views of chest revealed right hiliar nodular mass, right diaphragm moderately elevated with restricted motion

Remission Characteristics

Chest x-ray films 9 years postoperation revealed no evidence of previous hilar mass serum tested for antibody activity to lung removed from area of previous tumor revealed no significant complement fixation antinuclear antibody assay with leukocyte nuclei in immunofluorescence (-)

Treatment & Mechanisms

Clinical Treatment

Right exploratory thoracotomy revealed 6 cm mass in hilum surrounding upper lobe bronchus biopsies taken from nodes along superior vena cava--> frozen sections showed anaplastic epidermoid bronchogenic carcinoma tumor deemed unresectable, patient discharged on 12th postoperative day subsequent health remained well