Spontaneous regression of metastases from malignant melanoma: a case report

Abstract

A case of a 61-year-old male with widespread metastatic melanoma is presented 5 years after complete spontaneous cure. Spontaneous regression occurred in cutaneous, pulmonary, hepatic and cerebral metastases. A review of the literature reveals seven cases of regression of cerebral metastases; this report is the first to document complete spontaneous regression of cerebral metastases from malignant melanoma by means of computed tomography scans. Spontaneous regression is defined as the partial or complete disappearance of a malignant tumour in the absence of all treatment or in the presence of therapy, which is considered inadequate to exert a significant influence on neoplastic disease. The incidence of spontaneous regression of metastases from malignant melanoma is approximately one per 400 patients, and possible mechanisms include immunologic, endocrine, inflammatory and tumour nutritional factors. Our patient engaged in alternative therapies and was taking a number of different dietary supplements, none of which can be medically recommended, but the combination of which possibly strengthened the immune system and thereby the host defense against the melanoma metastases.

Spontaneous regression of metastases from melanoma: review of the literature

“…A lymphocytic infiltrate, as well as melanophages, can be found on histologic examination of clinically regressing subcutaneous metastatic lesions from melanoma [66]. Similar histologic features are found in bacillus Calmette-Guérin immunotherapy-induced remission of dermal metastatic melanoma [49].…”

Bevacizumab plus capecitabine as a salvage therapy in advanced adrenocortical carcinoma

“…It further demonstrates that the natural course of ACC is progressive and that spontaneous tumour regressions as described for other tumour entities, e.g. melanoma (35), hepatocellular carcinoma (36) or colorectal cancer (37) are extremely unlikely.…”

Spontaneous regression of transplacental metastases from maternal melanoma in a newborn: case report and review of the literature

“…The et al [57] showed the phagocytosis of melanoma tumour cells covered by immunoglobulin in a lymph node of a patient with spontaneous regression. Bodurtha et al [58] found elevated lymphocyte cytotoxicity against two allogenic melanoma target cell lines in a patient with regression of dermal metastatic melanoma, but until now there have been few immunologic studies on spontaneous regression of melanoma metastases [57,59,60].…”