title: Biological characteristics of neuroblastoma with spontaneous tumor reduction: a case report.
abstract: The authors examined the biological characteristics of a neuroblastoma with spontaneous tumor reduction. A 6-month-old boy with a pelvic neuroblastoma underwent surgical extirpation of the tumor 1 month after diagnosis. The size of the tumor reduced spontaneously while he was awaiting operation. The low proliferative activity of the tumor cells and the presence of apoptosis in the tumor tissue were shown by an immunohistochemical method using anti-PCNA antibody and a DNA fragmentation analysis, respectively. These results suggest that the spontaneous tumor reduction seen in this patient may well be caused by the overwhelming apoptosis of tumor cells.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iwata
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koshinaga
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Okabe
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kurosu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Esumi
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D004249:DNA Damage; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009365:Neoplasm Regression, Spontaneous / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010386:Pelvic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen