Spontaneous Remission - Causes

Causes

Everson and Cole offered as explanation for spontaneous regression from cancer:

In many of the collected cases ... it must be acknowledged that the factors or mechanisms responsible for spontaneous regression are obscure or unknown in the light of present knowledge. However, in some of the cases, available knowledge permits one to infer that hormonal influences probably were important. ... In other cases, the protocols strongly suggest that an immune mechanism was responsible.

Challis and Stam, even more at a loss, concluded in 1989, "In summary, we are left to conclude that, although a great number of interesting and unusual cases continue to be published annually, there is still little conclusive data that explains the occurrence of spontaneous regression."

In medical circles sometimes apoptosis (programmed cell death) or angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels) is discussed as "cause" of spontaneous regression. But both mechanisms need appropriate biochemical triggers and can not be caused on their own. To the contrary, in many cancer cells apoptosis is defective, angiogenesis is activated, both caused by mutations in cancer cells; cancer exists because both mechanisms are malfunctioning.

A great number of spontaneous regressions from cancer occurred after a feverish infection. If this coincidence in time would be a causal connection, it should as well precipitate as prophylactic effect, i.e. feverish infections should lower the risk to develop cancer later. This could be confirmed recently by collecting epidemiological studies.