[Spontaneous regression of lung cancer in an elderly patient: a case report]

An 82 year-old male was referred to us because of a nodule in the upper lobe of his right lung, which was incidentally found by computed tomography (CT) carried out in the course of treating pneumonia. The nodule was identified as non-keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma of the lung by bronchoscopy. A close investigation revealed the tumor to be cT1bN3M1b, clinical Stage IV. Although we only adopted a wait-and-see approach because of his age and his suspected myelodysplastic syndrome, the nodule had regressed on CT images after a year. Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography showed apparently decreased uptakes in the lymph nodes and adrenal gland. We considered this to be a systemic observation of spontaneous regression of carcinoma.