Spontaneous Regression Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: When The Immune System Stands Up To Cancer
Arjunan, V., Hansen, A., Deutzmann, A., Sze, D. Y., & Dhanasekaran, R. (2021). Spontaneous Regression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: When the Immune System Stands Up to Cancer. Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.), 73(4), 1611–1614. https://doi.org/10.1002/hep.31489
View Original Source →Abstract
Spontaneous regression of cancer is rare and has been observed mostly in immunogenic cancers like melanoma. A few cases of spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been reported, but the mechanisms of regression have not been elucidated. Here, we report a patient with advanced HCC who experienced spontaneous regression of her tumor and present evidence for a putative immunemediated mechanism for tumor regression.
Case Details
Disease Location
Liver
Personal Characteristics
65-year-old female
Clinical Characteristics
Alcohol-associated cirrhosis diagnosed with infiltrative 17 cm hcc with occlusive portal vein tumor thrombus and serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) of 40,250 ng/ml. The patient mentioned taking a pneumococcal vaccine prior to presentation
Remission Characteristics
Before treatment was initiated, she showed a spontaneous decrease in serum AFP to 250 ng/ml. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed complete involution of both the primary tumor and the portal vein tumor thrombus.
Treatment & Mechanisms
Proposed Remission Mechanisms
Specific mechanisms of immune surveillance. Host immune responses can at times successfully target hcc
Clinical Treatment
Pneumococcal vaccine