A woman who had widespread metastatic adenocarcinoma of the colon at laparotomy died more than 14 years later with no clinical evidence of malignancy. In her only son, widespread metastatic carcinoma of the colon was found at laparotomy 9 years ago but at present he is well without any clinical evidence of malignancy. Spontaneous regression of carcinoma of the colon is extremely rare. The possible mechanisms in the two cases presented are discussed.
ARCINOMA OF THE COLON IS ONE OF THE
C most common internal malignancies in man1 yet documented long-term remission and survival with metastatic carcinoma of the colon is extremely rare. Everson and Cole in their exhaustive and meticulous study of the medical literature found only five acceptable instances of long-term survival of metastatic carcinoma of the colon.2 We have had the opportunity to review the medical records and histopathology of a woman who survived 14 years after metastatic carcinoma of the colon and to investigate her son who is now in evident good health 9 years after extensive metastatic colonic carcinoma was disovered at laparo tomy.
FAMILY HISTORY
DB, the mother, was born in 1876 and died at age 78 in 1954. Her father was born in 1848 and died at age 80 in 1928. Her mother was born in 1855 and died in 1940 at age 85. We were unable to find the exact cause of death of her parents, but her son, NB, does not think that there was any cancer in the family other than in his mother and in himself.