Spontaneous tumor regression following COVID-19 vaccination

J Immunother Cancer. 2022 Mar;10(3):e004371. doi: 10.1136/jitc-2021-004371.

Abstract

Vaccination against COVID-19 is critical for immuno-compromised individuals, including patients with cancer. Systemic reactogenicity, a manifestation of the innate immune response to vaccines, occurs in up to 69% of patients following vaccination with RNA-based COVID-19 vaccines. Tumor regression can occur following an intense immune-inflammatory response and novel strategies to treat cancer rely on manipulating the host immune system. Here, we report spontaneous regression of metastatic salivary gland myoepithelial carcinoma in a patient who experienced grade 3 systemic reactogenicity, following vaccination with the mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine. Histological and immunophenotypic inspection of the postvaccination lung biopsy specimens showed a massive inflammatory infiltrate with scant embedded tumor clusters (<5%). Highly multiplexed imaging mass cytometry showed that the postvaccination lung metastasis samples had remarkable immune cell infiltration, including CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, natural killer cells, B cells, and dendritic cells, which contrasted with very low levels of these cells in the prevaccination primary tumor and lung metastasis samples. CT scans obtained 3, 6, and 9 months after the second vaccine dose demonstrated persistent tumor shrinkage (50%, 67%, and 73% reduction, respectively), suggesting that vaccination stimulated anticancer immunity. Insight: This case suggests that the mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine stimulated anticancer immunity and tumor regression.

Keywords: COVID-19; head and neck neoplasms; immunogenicity; translational medical research; tumor microenvironment; vaccine.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • 2019-nCoV Vaccine mRNA-1273*
  • B-Lymphocytes
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Innate*
  • Immunogenicity, Vaccine*
  • Lung Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Lung Neoplasms / immunology*
  • Lung Neoplasms / secondary
  • Middle Aged
  • Myoepithelioma / diagnostic imaging
  • Myoepithelioma / immunology*
  • Myoepithelioma / secondary
  • Parotid Neoplasms / pathology
  • Parotid Neoplasms / surgery*

Substances

  • 2019-nCoV Vaccine mRNA-1273