The Spontaneous Regression of Cancer: A review of cases from 1900 to 1987

Challis, Gary B.; Stam, Henderikus J.

doi:10.3109/02841869009090048

Cited by 326 publications

(242 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…It has been known for many years that the immune system plays a major role in neoplastic development and control, since patients who are immunosuppressed have a higher risk of cancer, and spontaneous regression of many types of malignant tumors is a rare but wellrecognized phenomenon-occurring in approximately 1 in every 60,000 to 100,000 cancer cases [8][9][10] .…”

Section: History Of Our Knowledge Of the Immune System's Role In Cancermentioning

confidence: 99%

Cancer immunotherapy: a brief review of the history, possibilities, and challenges ahead

Oiseth¹,

Aziz²

2017

JCMT

275

199

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The knowledge that the body possesses natural defenses to combat cancer existed long before the modern period, with multiple anecdotal reports of tumors miraculously disappearing, sometimes spontaneously or after a febrile or infectious episode. Spontaneous tumor regression of untreated malignant tumors is currently a well-accepted albeit rare phenomenon, and it is recognized that immunosuppression is associated with a higher cancer risk. The treatment of bladder carcinoma by intravesical administration of live attenuated Bacillus CalmetteGuérin bacteria was shown to be very effective in 1976 and is now standard treatment. Effective immunity against cancer involves complex interactions between the tumor, the host, and the environment. Cancer immunotherapy uses various strategies to augment tumor immunity and represents a paradigm shift in treating cancer, since attention has become more focused on the "biologic passport" of the individual tumor rather than the site of origin of the tumor. The different types of cancer immunotherapies discussed here include biologic modifiers, such as cytokines and vaccines, adoptive cell therapies, oncolytic viruses, and antibodies against immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as the co-inhibitory T-cell receptor PD-1 and one of its ligands, programmed death-ligand 1. Key words:Cancer immunotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors, PD-1, programmed death-ligand 1, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4, adoptive cell therapy, cancer vaccines, oncolytic viruses, history of cancer immunology ABSTRACTArticle history:

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Section: History Of Our Knowledge Of the Immune System's Role In Cancermentioning

confidence: 99%

Cancer immunotherapy: a brief review of the history, possibilities, and challenges ahead

Oiseth¹,

Aziz²

2017

JCMT

275

199

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“…More than 700 cases of spontaneous regression in advanced tumours in patients have been reported 19 , including malignant melanoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, lung metastases after destruction of the primary renal cell carcinoma and Hodgkin disease. Moreover, such spontaneous regressions normally occur following an infection.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Photodynamic therapy and anti-tumour immunity

2006

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Photodynamic therapy (PDT) uses non-toxic photosensitizers and harmless visible light in combination with oxygen to produce cytotoxic reactive oxygen species that kill malignant cells by apoptosis and/or necrosis, shut down the tumour microvasculature and stimulate the host immune system. In contrast to surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy that are mostly immunosuppressive, PDT causes acute inflammation, expression of heat-shock proteins, invasion and infiltration of the tumour by leukocytes, and might increase the presentation of tumour-derived antigens to T cells.The principle of photodynamic therapy (PDT) was first proposed over 100 years ago 1 . A recent review in Nature Reviews Cancer by Rakesh Jain and colleagues described some of the historical milestones in the development of PDT as a cancer treatment2. Many of the photosensitizers (PSs) that have been studied since PDT was first proposed are based on a porphyrin-like nucleus 3 . PSs function as catalysts when they absorb visible light and then convert molecular oxygen to a range of highly reactive oxygen species (ROS). The ROS that are produced during PDT have been shown to destroy tumours by multifactorial mechanisms4 , 5 (FIG. 1). PDT has a direct affect on cancer cells, producing cell death by necrosis and/or apoptosis 6 . PDT also has an affect on the tumour vasculature, whereby illumination and ROS production causes the shutdown of vessels and subsequently deprives the tumour of oxygen and nutrients 7,8 . Finally, PDT also has a significant effect on the immune system 9-11 , which can be either immunostimulatory or immunosuppressive.Most of the commonly used cancer therapies are immunosuppressive. Chemotherapy and ionizing radiation delivered at doses sufficient to destroy tumours are known to be toxic to the bone marrow, which is the source of all cells of the immune system, and neutropaenia and other forms of myelosuppression are often the dose-limiting toxicity of these therapies. However, it should be noted that low doses of either ionizing radiation12 , 13 or chemotherapy14 can have immunostimulatory effects, including the induction of heat-shock © 2006 Nature Publishing Group Correspondence to M.R.H. Hamblin@helix.mgh.harvard.edu. Competing interests statementThe authors declare no competing financial interests. DATABASES NIH Public Access Author ManuscriptNat Rev Cancer. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2010 September 6. Published in final edited form as:Nat Rev Cancer. 2006 July ; 6(7): 535-545. doi:10.1038/nrc1894. NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript proteins 15 . Less well known is the fact that major surgery can also have an immunosuppressive effect that leads to a significant diminution of lymphocyte and natural killer (NK) cell function 16 . The ideal cancer therapy would not only destroy the primary tumour, but at the same time trigger the immune system to recognize, track down and destroy any remaining tumour cells, be they at or near the site of the primary tumour or distant microm...

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“…The literature on spontaneous regression and remission consists of numerous case studies and few reviews (Rohdenburg, 1918;Boyd, 1966;Everson and Cole, 1968;Stephenson et al, 1971;Challis and Stam, 1990). Two of these reviews appeared as books (Boyd, 1966;Everson and Cole, 1968).…”

Section: Discussion Spontaneous Regressionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Two of these reviews appeared as books (Boyd, 1966;Everson and Cole, 1968). The reviews of Stephenson et al (1971) and of Challis and Stam (1990) are of particular importance, since they were published in scientific journals and passed peer review.…”

Section: Discussion Spontaneous Regressionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Everson and Cole, in their 1966 review, noted in 8/176 cases a severe infection preceding regression (Everson and Cole, 1968;Cole, 1981); however, they probably overlooked some concurrent infections, since Stephenson et al, in their 1971 publication, used the same 176 cases and added 48 cases, but found that in 62/224 cases (28%) either an infection or a persistent temperature elevation was reported prior to regression (Stephenson et al, 1971). Only vague indication about the involvement of febrile processes is given in the review of Challis and Stam (1990), who state that infection and 'operative trauma' were reported in about 4% of the cases. In melanoma, a particular immunogenic variant of cancer, about 1/400 patients experience a spontaneous regression.…”

Section: Fever and Spontaneous Regressionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fever therapy revisited

Hobohm¹

2005

Br J Cancer

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The phenomenon of spontaneous regression and remission from cancer has been observed by many physicians and was described in hundreds of publications. However, suggestive clues on cause or trigger are sparse and not substantiated by much experimental evidence. In this review, literature is surveyed and summarised and possible causes are discussed. At least in a larger fraction of cases a hefty feverish infection is linked with spontaneous regression in time and is investigated as putative trigger. Epidemiological and immunological evidence is put into perspective. An online forum to discuss the possible application of fever therapy in the future can be accessed at http://bioinfo.tg.fh-giessen.de/fever-and-cancer.

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The Spontaneous Regression of Cancer: A review of cases from 1900 to 1987

Cited by 326 publications

References 27 publications

Cancer immunotherapy: a brief review of the history, possibilities, and challenges ahead

Cancer immunotherapy: a brief review of the history, possibilities, and challenges ahead

Photodynamic therapy and anti-tumour immunity

Fever therapy revisited

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