title: Spontaneous remission of small cell lung cancer: a case report and review in the literature.
abstract: Spontaneous remission (SR) of cancer, especially of lung tumor, is a rare biological event. Only seven cases in which small cell lung cancer (SCLC) regressed spontaneously had been previously reported. We report here a rare case of complete SR of SCLC in an 86-year-old man. Paraneoplastic sensory neuronopathy (PSN) is a rare syndrome, which is associated with malignancy such as SCLC and starts with dysesthetic pain and numbness in the distal extremities, then spreading all four limbs and trunk causing severe sensory ataxia. In the previous reports, SR of SCLC is suggested to result from surgical trauma or PSN, which may be able to enhance anti-tumoral immunity. Our report is the case of SR of SCLC, without any therapies nor any invasive examinations. Although the reason of SR of SCLC in the present case is unknown, PSN could be one of the diagnosis by exclusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Nephrology, Kochi Medical School, Kohasu, Okoh-cho, Nankoku, Kochi 783-8505, Japan. horinott@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Horino
authors.forename: Toshihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takao
authors.forename: Michiya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Takamaro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Geshi
authors.forename: Kozo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D020361:Paraneoplastic Syndromes, Nervous System / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed