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Spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma

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Abstract

We report four patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (all men, with liver cirrhosis and hepatitis C virus infections) who showed spontaneous regression of the tumor. When the spontaneous regression occurred all of the patients were over age 67 years. They showed a rapid increase of serum alpha-fetoprotein levels just before the spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma. In all the patients, the alpha-fetoprotein level decreased to within normal limits and the tumor was partially to completely reduced in size. One patient revealed regression after bleeding of esophageal varices and blood transfusion. Another showed spontaneous regression after taking several complementary and alternative medicines. However, the mechanisms underlying this intriguing phenomenon remain unknown.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Oncology Division, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan

    Shunsuke Kondo, Takuji Okusaka, Hideki Ueno, Masafumi Ikeda & Chigusa Morizane

Authors
  1. Shunsuke Kondo
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  2. Takuji Okusaka
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  3. Hideki Ueno
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  4. Masafumi Ikeda
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  5. Chigusa Morizane
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Takuji Okusaka.

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Kondo, S., Okusaka, T., Ueno, H. et al. Spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma. Int J Clin Oncol 11, 407–411 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10147-006-0591-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10147-006-0591-4

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