Complete Spontaneous Remission Of Small Cell Lung Cancer In The Absence Of Specific Treatment: A Case Report
Song, S. H., Ha, C. W., Kim, C., & Seong, G. M. (2021). Complete spontaneous remission of small cell lung cancer in the absence of specific treatment: A case report. Thoracic cancer, 12(19), 2611–2613. https://doi.org/10.1111/1759-7714.14124
View Original Source →Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a unique tumor that has a distinct clinical behavior and dismal prognosis. If untreated, it can become aggressively malignant, and life expectancy could be limited to weeks. Spontaneous regression of lung cancer has rarely been reported, and among them SCLC is even rarer. The underlying mechanisms of spontaneous regression are poorly understood. Here, we report a case of complete spontaneous SCLC remission in an elderly patient.
Case Details
Disease Location
Lung
Personal Characteristics
80-year-old man. He had smoked 20 cigarettes daily for 50 years.
Clinical Characteristics
Referred with hemoptysis and hoarseness. Chest x-ray revealed a bulging contoured lesion in the left hilum. Chest computed tomography (CT) revealed a malignant tumor in the left upper lobe and enlarged left hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (vats) was performed, and a subaortic lymph node was excised. Pathological examination revealed sclc. He consumed beetroot (beta vulgaris) juice daily for 2 years after sclc was diagnosed.
Remission Characteristics
52 weeks later, chest x-ray revealed the absence of the bulging left hilar contoured lesion. Chest CT scans confirmed complete remission of the previous sclc in the left upper lobe, mediastinum, and hilum
Treatment & Mechanisms
Proposed Remission Mechanisms
Surgical trauma and beetroot intake may play some role in tumor regression
Clinical Treatment
Biopsy, beetroot juice
Non-Clinical Treatment
Beetroot (beta vulgaris) juice