Regression of locally recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the skin following excision of a metastasis: with review of the literature.

The spontaneous regression of a malignant tumor subsequent to surgical excision of a distant cancer is a fascinating observation. Although rare, this dynamic tumor/host relationship may offer important insight into mechanisms of immunologic surveillance. A better understanding of that interaction may help identify specific aberrations that predisposes to cancer development. Although the literature cites several histologically distinct cancers that demonstrate this phenomenon, a report of spontaneous regression of squamous cancer of the skin has not previously appeared. The case presented serves as the focal point for discussion of current concepts pertaining to this apparent host/tumor interaction.