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Spontaneous regression of thoracic malignancies
Toshita Kumar1, Nick Patel, Arunabh Talwar
1Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY 11040, USA. tkumar@nshs.edu
Respiratory Medicine
|June 29, 2010
Summary
Spontaneous tumor regression is rare in the chest. While primary thoracic cancers rarely regress, metastatic renal cell carcinoma is the most common thoracic malignancy to show spontaneous regression.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Thoracic Surgery
- Medical Literature Analysis
Background:
- Patients often inquire about spontaneous tumor regression.
- Documented cases of spontaneous regression exist but may lack rigorous criteria.
- The study aimed to define incidence and types of thoracic malignancies that truly regress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of spontaneous regression in thoracic malignancies.
- To identify specific types of thoracic cancers most prone to spontaneous regression.
- To refine criteria for defining true spontaneous regression.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a PubMed literature search from 1951 to 2008 using keywords related to spontaneous regression of thoracic lesions.
- Applied modified Everson and Cole criteria to identify cases of true spontaneous regression.
- Focused on primary and metastatic thoracic malignancies.
Main Results:
- Only 5 cases of spontaneous regression of primary thoracic malignancies were found (mesothelioma, lung cancer, adenoid cystic carcinoma).
- 71 cases of spontaneous regression of metastatic thoracic neoplasms were identified.
- Metastatic renal cell carcinoma was the most frequent thoracic malignancy to regress spontaneously, with 5 cases also showing primary tumor regression.
Conclusions:
- Spontaneous regression of primary thoracic malignancies is exceptionally rare.
- Metastatic renal cell carcinoma is the leading cause of spontaneous thoracic malignancy regression.
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