We describe a case of partial regression of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma after treatment with thymostimulin. The patient, a 58-year-old man, received no specific therapy for his tumor, but only a thymus extract (« thymostimulin »). At follow-up 6 months later the patient showed clinical improvement, reduction of alpha-fetoprotein level an liver lesions, and a complete regression of lung metastases. The patient died of progression of the disease with 2-year overall survival.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AndreolaS., AudisioR.A., MazzaferroV., DociR., MilellaM.: Spontaneous massive necrosis of a hepatocellular carcinoma. Tumori, 73: 203–207, 1987.
2.
BalasegaramM.: Management of primary liver cell carcinoma. Am. J. Surg., 130: 33–37, 1975.
3.
ColeW.H.: Effort to explain spontaneous regression of cancer. J. Surg. Oncol., 17: 201–209, 1981.
4.
ColeW.H.: Relationship of causative factors in spontaneous regression of cancer to immunologic factors possibly effective in cancer. J. Surg. Oncol., 8: 391–411, 1976.
5.
FosterJ.H.: Survival after liver resection for cancer. Cancer, 26: 493–502, 1970.
InouyeA.A., WhelanT.J.: Primary liver cancer: a review of 205 cases in Hawaii. Am. J. Surg., 138: 53–58, 1979.
8.
LamK.C., HoJ.C.I., YeungR.T.T.: Spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma. A case study. Cancer, 50: 332–336, 1982.
9.
LeeC.M., NewstedtJ.R., SiddaleH.S.: Large abdominal tumors of childhood (other than Wilm's tumor or neuroblastoma). Ann. Surg., 143: 803–815, 1956.
10.
LieberC.S., SeitzH.K., GarroA.J., WornerT.M.: Alcohol-related disease and carcinogenesis. Cancer Res., 39: 2863–2886, 1979.
11.
McSweeneyW.X., BoveK.E., McAdamsA.J.: Spontaneous regression of a putative childhood hepatoma. A reappraisal. Am. J. Dis. Child., 125: 596–598, 1973.
12.
Murray-LyonI.M., DawsonJ.L., ParsonsV.A., RakeM.O., BlendisL.M., LawsJ.W.: Treatment of secondary hepatic tumors by ligation of hepatic artery and infusion of cytotoxic drugs. Lancet, 2: 172–175, 1970.
13.
OkudaK.: Clinical aspects of hepatocellular carcinoma. In: « Hepatocellular carcinoma », OkudaK., PetersR.L. (Eds.), pp. 387–436. John Wiley and Sons, London, 1976.
14.
SatoY., FujiwaraK., NakagawaS., KanishimaS., OhtaY., HayashiS., OkaH.: A case of spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma with bone metastasis. Cancer, 56: 667–671, 1985.
15.
TullI.C.: Primary carcinoma of the liver: a study of 135 cases. J. Pathol. Bacteriol., 35: 557–562, 1932.
16.
WeinbergA., FinegoldM.J.: Primary hepatic tumor in childhood. In: « Pathology of Neoplasia in Children and Adolescents », FinegoldM. (Ed.), pp. 356–358, Saunders W.B., London, 1986.
