Spontaneous Regression Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
Kondo, S., Okusaka, T., Ueno, H., Ikeda, M., & Morizane, C. (2006). spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma. International journal of clinical oncology, 11(5), 407–411. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10147-006-0591-4
View Original Source →Abstract
We report four patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (all men, with liver cirrhosis and hepatitis C virus infections) who showed spontaneous regression of the tumor. When the spontaneous regression occurred all of the patients were over age 67 years. They showed a rapid increase of serum alpha-fetoprotein levels just before the spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma. In all the patients, the alpha-fetoprotein level decreased to within normal limits and the tumor was partially to completely reduced in size. One patient revealed regression after bleeding of esophageal varices and blood transfusion. Another showed spontaneous regression after taking several complementary and alternative medicines. However, the mechanisms underlying this intriguing phenomenon remain unknown.
Case Details
Disease Location
Liver with lung mets
Personal Characteristics
75-year-old man, postive HCV
Clinical Characteristics
Liver tumors were located in segment 7 and diagnosed as hcc by CT, angiographic findings, and an elevated AFP level. 4 years later after tae, he complained of dyspnea and cough. CT revealed multiple nodules in the bilateral lungs, and he had an elevated AFP level. The lung nodules were diagnosed as multiple lung metastases of hcc, although the diagnosis was not confirmed pathologically. He underwent chemotherapy without response. After an 8- months period of spontaneous regression, the residual intrahepatic lesion became larger and the serum AFP level increased again
Remission Characteristics
4 months after tae, follow-up CT and AFP did not show any relapse of hc. 4 months after discontinueatin chemotherapy, the multiple lung nodules had clearly decreased in number and in size
Treatment & Mechanisms
Proposed Remission Mechanisms
Not discussed
Clinical Treatment
Tae, systemic chemotherapy using mitoxan- trone, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil.