[Spontaneous remission of breast cancer. A literature review]

Some patients combine conventional treatment with alternative treatment forms and it has been claimed that some alternative treatment forms have an antineoplastic effect. Data from the first part of this century suggest that breast cancer has a very variable natural course, and a small fraction of patients survive 10-15 years without treatment. An exceptional course could be misinterpreted as effective alternative treatment in the absence of strict criteria. We have therefore investigated the natural history of breast cancer and the degree of spontaneous remission. On the basis of international literature we found 32 cases of spontaneous remission of breast cancer. Six cases were sufficiently documented regarding histological confirmation of the diagnosis. The phenomenon is therefore very rare and the natural course is very variable.