Spontaneous Regression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: When the Immune System Stands Up to Cancer

• DOI: 10.1002/hep.31489
• Publication Date: 2020-08-02T20:08:57Z
• Authors: Vinodhini Arjunan; Aida Hansen; Anja Deutzmann; Daniel Y. Sze; Renumathy Dhanase...
• Keywords: Male; 0303 health sciences; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Liver Neoplasms; Receptors, IgG; Immunity; Middle Aged; GPI-Linked Proteins; Lymphocyte Activation; Monocytes; 3. Good health; Killer Cells, Natural; Pneumococcal Vaccines; 03 medical and health sciences; Neoplasm Regression, Spontaneous; Asymptomatic Diseases; Humans; Female; Chemokine CCL4; Aged; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic

Spontaneous regression of cancer is rare and has been observed mostly in immunogenic cancers like melanoma. A few cases of spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been reported, but the mechanisms of regression have not been elucidated. Here, we report a patient with advanced HCC who experienced spontaneous regression of her tumor and present evidence for a putative immune-mediated mechanism for tumor regression.