title: Complete spontaneous regression of non-small cell lung cancer followed by adrenal relapse.
abstract: Spontaneous regression (SR) of cancer is a rare phenomenon. SR is recognized as complete or partial disappearance of the disease after inadequate or no treatment. Although reports of this phenomenon have been documented for several malignancies, it is rare in patients with lung cancer. In most documented cases, diagnoses of SR were made based on only the radiologic findings. We herein report a case of complete SR of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that was pathologically proven using a resected specimen. Moreover, despite the local complete SR, the patient subsequently experienced an adrenal metastasis after surgery. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a patient with NSCLC in whom complete regression of the primary site was observed, but in whom a distant metastasis became apparent. Both phenomena were pathologically proven. Our report suggests that both SR and tumor progression can proceed simultaneously.
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Noriyasu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Usami
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okasaka
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawaguchi
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Takehiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okagawa
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan. Electronic address: k-yokoi@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kohei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yokoi
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009365:Neoplasm Regression, Spontaneous; D011859:Radiography