Ann Oncol 1997 Oct;8(10):1031-9

Complete spontaneous remission in a patient with metastatic non-small-cell
lung cancer. Case report, review of the literature, and discussion of
possible biological pathways involved.

Kappauf H, Gallmeier WM, Wunsch PH, Mittelmeier HO, Birkmann J, Buschel G,
Kaiser G, Kraus J

Medical Clinic 5/Oncology and Hematology, Nuremberg City Hospital, Germany.

Spontaneous remission of cancer (SR) is defined as a complete or partial,
temporary or permanent disappearance of all or at least some relevant
parameters of a soundly diagnosed malignant disease without any medical
treatment or with treatment that is considered inadequate to produce the
resulting regression. We report the case of a 61-year-old man who presented
with extensive metatastic disease five months after pneumonectomy for poorly
differentiated large cell and polymorphic lung cancer. A vast metastatic
tumour mass of the abdominal wall was confirmed histolologically and there
was clinical and radiographic evidence of liver and lung metastases. Eight
months later, the patient was operated on for a hernia, which had developed
in the inguinal biopsy scar and the surgeon confirmed complete clinical SR
of the abdominal wall metastases. Again five months later there was no
longer any radiologic evidence of liver and lung metastases. Complete
remission has persisted more than five years. Histology of the primary and
of the abdominal metastases were reviewed by several independent
pathologists. SR is an extremly rare event in lung cancer. This is the first
documented case of clinically evident visceral metastases of a bronchiogenic
adenocarcinoma developing after complete resection of the primary and then
showing complete SR. The epidemiology of SR is reviewed and possible
mechanisms involved in SR are discussed.