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BMC Cancer
Published in: BMC Cancer 1/2015

Open Access 01-12-2015 | Case report

A case study on the potential angiogenic effect of human chorionic gonadotropin hormone in rapid progression and spontaneous regression of metastatic renal cell carcinoma during pregnancy and after surgical abortion

Authors: László Mangel, Krisztina Bíró, István Battyáni, Péter Göcze, Tamás Tornóczky, Endre Kálmán

Published in: BMC Cancer | Issue 1/2015

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Abstract

Background

Treatment possibilities of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) have recently changed dramatically prolonging the overall survival of the patients. This kind of development brings new challenges for the care of mRCC.

Case presentation

A 22 year-old female patient with translocation type mRCC, who previously had been treated for nearly 5 years, became pregnant during the treatment break period. Follow-up examinations revealed a dramatic clinical and radiological progression of mRCC in a few weeks therefore the pregnancy was terminated. A few days after surgical abortion, CT examination showed a significant spontaneous regression of the pulmonary metastases, and the volume of the largest manifestation decreased from ca. 30 to 3.5 cm3 in a week. To understand the possible mechanism of this spectacular regression, estrogen, progesterone and luteinizing hormone receptors (ER, PGR and LHR, respectively) immuno-histochemistry assays were performed on the original surgery samples. Immuno-histochemistry showed negative ER, PGR and positive LHR status suggesting the possible angiogenic effect of human chorionic gonadotropin hormone (hCG) in the background.

Conclusion

We hypothesize that pregnancy may play a causal role in the progression of mRCC via the excess amount of hCG, however, more data are necessary to validate the present notions and the predictive role of LHR overexpression.
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Metadata
Title
A case study on the potential angiogenic effect of human chorionic gonadotropin hormone in rapid progression and spontaneous regression of metastatic renal cell carcinoma during pregnancy and after surgical abortion
Authors
László Mangel
Krisztina Bíró
István Battyáni
Péter Göcze
Tamás Tornóczky
Endre Kálmán
Publication date
01-12-2015
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Cancer / Issue 1/2015
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2407
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-015-2031-1

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