Abscopal regression of hepatocellular carcinoma after radiotherapy for bone metastasis.
Spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma is a rare phenomenon. Abscopal regression of tumours resulting from the effect of irradiation of a tissue on a remote non-irradiated tissue is also rare. The case of a 76 year old Japanese man with hepatocellular carcinoma that regressed after radiotherapy for thoracic vertebral bone metastasis is described. Serum levels of tumour necrosis factor-alpha increased after radiotherapy. The findings suggests that such abscopal related regression may be associated with host immune response, involving cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor-alpha.
Ohba
K
K
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan.
Omagari
K
K
Nakamura
T
T
Ikuno
N
N
Saeki
S
S
Matsuo
I
I
Kinoshita
H
H
Masuda
J
J
Hazama
H
H
Sakamoto
I
I
Kohno
S
S
D000368:Aged; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009365:Neoplasm Regression, Spontaneous; D012074:Remission Induction; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed