title: Complete remission of pulmonary spindle cell carcinoma after treatment with oral germanium sesquioxide.
abstract: Spindle cell carcinoma (SCC) is a rare form of lung cancer representing 0.2 to 0.3% of all primary pulmonary malignancies. Even with combined surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, these tumors are associated with a poor prognosis and only 10% of patients survive 2 years after diagnosis. We describe a patient with an unresectable SCC who, following no response to conventional treatment with combined modality therapy, chose to medicate herself with daily doses of germanium obtained in a health food store. She noted prompt symptomatic improvement and remains clinically and radiographically free of disease 42 months after starting her alternative therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Divisions of Hematology and Oncology, University of Florida College of Medicine and Veterinary Affairs Medical Center, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA. mainwmg@medicine.ufl.edu
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Mainwaring
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Poor
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Zander
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Harman
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005857:Germanium / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012651:Self Medication; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005857:Germanium