Papac R J
Section of Medical Oncology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
In Vivo. 1998 Nov-Dec;12(6):571-8.
Spontaneous regression of cancer is reported in virtually all types of human cancer, although the greatest number of cases are reported in patients with neuroblastoma, renal cell carcinoma, malignant melanoma and lymhomas/leukemias. Study of patients with these diseases has provided most of the data regarding mechanisms of spontaneous regression. Mechanisms proposed for spontaneous regression of human cancer include: immune mediation, tumor inhibition by growth factors and/or cytokines, induction of differentiation, hormonal mediation, elimination of a carcinogen, tumor necrosis and/or angiogenesis inhibition, psychologic factors, apoptosis and epigenetic mechanisms. Clinical observations and laboratory studies support these concepts to a variable extent. The induction of spontaneous regression may involve multiple mechanisms in some cases although the end result is likely to be either differentiation or cell death. Elucidation of the process of spontaneous regression offers the possibility of improved methods of treating and preventing cancer.
事实上，几乎在所有类型的人类癌症中都有癌症自发消退的报道，不过，神经母细胞瘤、肾细胞癌、恶性黑色素瘤以及淋巴瘤/白血病患者的此类病例报告数量最多。对这些疾病患者的研究提供了大部分关于自发消退机制的数据。提出的人类癌症自发消退机制包括：免疫介导、生长因子和/或细胞因子对肿瘤的抑制、分化诱导、激素介导、致癌物消除、肿瘤坏死和/或血管生成抑制、心理因素、细胞凋亡以及表观遗传机制。临床观察和实验室研究在不同程度上支持了这些概念。在某些情况下，自发消退的诱导可能涉及多种机制，尽管最终结果可能是分化或细胞死亡。阐明自发消退过程为改进癌症治疗和预防方法提供了可能性。
