Programmed Death-Ligand 1-Positive Squamous Cell Carcinoma Spontaneously Regressed after Percutaneous Needle Biopsy

Abstract

Spontaneous lung cancer regression is a very rare course of disease. A 60-year-old male patient was admitted to our hospital with pneumonia and a 19 mm-sized nodule shadow in the S4 of the left lung on chest computed tomography (CT). A percutaneous needle biopsy was performed, and a diagnosis of programmed death-ligand 1-positive squamous cell lung carcinoma was made based on pathological findings. The patient was followed up with imaging because the lesion has reduced in size on chest CT. We report the possibility that cellular immune mechanisms triggered by needle biopsy contributed to spontaneous regression.

Keywords

• lung cancer
• pneumonia
• spontaneous regression
• percutaneous needle biopsy
• programmed death-ligand 1