20Oct 2022
Spontaneous regression of an human papillomavirus‐positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Spontaneous regression of an human papillomavirus‐positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Spontaneous regression (SR) of cancer is an exceedingly rare phenomenon. While SR is well‐documented for some cancers, very few reports exist in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCCs) and none in human papillomavirus (HPV)‐positive OPSCCs. A 67-year-old man presented with a left‐sided neck mass. Surgery revealed a left tonsillar SCC and no lymph nodes with a tumour. Histology revealed homogenous fibrosis and intermixed immune cells indicative of tumour regression analogous to reports of immune‐related pathologic responses. Therefore, this study described a spontaneously regressed lymph node in a tonsillar HPV‐positive SCC. The unique immune environment of HPV‐positive OPSCCs, and unknown environmental or host factors, may have played a role in our patient's SR, which requires future studies to elucidate.

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