Spontaneous regression of malignant disease

Anonymous

I just thought I'd put this out there: spontaneous regression/remission is real

"For decades the reported disappearance or regression of malignant tumors, without significant therapy to explain it, has intrigued the profession, and has given rise to controversy as to whether or not the phenomenon actually exists.

Spontaneous regression of cancer may be defined as the partial or complete disappearance of a malignant tumor in the absence of all treatment or in the presence of therapy which is considered inadequate to exert a significant influence on the growth of neoplastic disease.

Indeed, spontaneous regression is a somewhat inaccurate term for this phenomenon because any change in the growth pattern of malignant tissue must have a biological explanation

Often, indeed, the mere thought that regression might possibly take place changes their attitude from that of complete despair to that of hopeful toleration"

http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=325755

Spontaneous Remission: An Annotated Bibliography  

The rare but spectacular remission of cancer persists in the annals of medicine...no one doubts the validity of the observation..." Lewis Thomas, M.D., Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital.

This book, written by experts in the mind-body connections, gives 1574 citations of cases of malignant tumors that either completely disappeared or partially disappeared. The splendid documentation of this book helps bolster your spirit when you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer. How does a complete remission happen?

http://www.amazon.com/Spontaneous-Remission-Bibliography-Brendan-ORegan/dp/0943951178

The Body Can Beat Terminal Cancer - Sometimes 

Today researchers are just beginning to piece together the clues they hope will allow them to see what makes a deadly cancer sometimes reverse course and melt away. Much of their research focuses on the immune system, which they describe as a sort of military unit that protects the body from foreign invaders.

It is surprising that some people with late-stage cancers like Matzke's can undergo spontaneous remission. On the other hand, regression of early microscopic cancers may occur more readily and may be common.

As recently as 2005, doctors at Dartmouth and Harvard universities concluded that Coley may have been right that some infections, particularly those caused by Streptococcus, might cause tumor regression.

http://discovermagazine.com/2007/sep/the-body-can-stave-off-terminal-cancer-sometimes/article_view?b_start:int=0&-C=

jenrio

Real, in fact, the probability is somewhat higher than hitting the lottery 

"Pinning down spontaneous remissions has been a little like chasing rainbows. It's not even possible to say just how frequently such cases occur-estimates generally range from 1 in 60,000 to 1 in 100,000 patients.  "

If science could take these rare cases and extract some knowledge and a cure out of it, that would be wonderful.   Also melanoma, BC or colorectal cancer or lung cancer could all behave very differently.   Melanoma is known to respond to immune manipulations better.

Anonymous

Jen, some people somewhere do win the lottery ! 

"If science could take these rare cases and extract some knowledge and a cure out of it, that would be wonderful" yes !

But how do we reconcile early detection with "regression of early microscopic cancers may occur more readily and may be common" ?