title: Spontaneous regression of colon cancer.
abstract: A case of spontaneous regression of transverse colon cancer is reported. A 64-year-old man was diagnosed as having cancer of the transverse colon at a local hospital. Initial and second colonoscopy examinations revealed a typical cancer of the transverse colon, which was diagnosed as moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. The patient underwent right hemicolectomy 6 weeks after the initial colonoscopy. The resected specimen showed only a scar at the tumor site, and no cancerous tissue was proven histologically. The patient is alive with no evidence of recurrence 1 year after surgery. Although an antitumor immune response is the most likely explanation, the exact nature of the phenomenon was unclear. We describe this rare case and review the literature pertaining to spontaneous regression of colorectal cancer.
authors.affiliation: Colorectal Surgery Division, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo Department of Surgery, Tottori Prefectural Central Hospital, Tottori.
authors.forename: Kyoichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kihara
authors.affiliation: Colorectal Surgery Division, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo Department of Surgery, Tochigi Cancer Center, Utsunomiya sifujita@tcc.pref.tochigi.lg.jp.
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.affiliation: Colorectal Surgery Division, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo.
authors.forename: Taihei
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohshiro
authors.affiliation: Colorectal Surgery Division, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo Department of Surgery, Hiratsuka Municipal Hospital, Hiratsuka.
authors.forename: Seiichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.affiliation: Pathology Division, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sekine
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D003082:Colectomy; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D003113:Colonoscopy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous
keywords: colon cancer; immune response; spontaneous regression