SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Paraneoplastic Syndromes”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

[Paraneoplastic syndromes of the central nervous system].

Paraneoplastic syndromes of central nervous system are rare neurologic syndromes caused by cancer but not secondary to metastases. The physiopathologic mechanisms underlying these syndromes are still under debate. We report the biological and clinical features of the most frequent paraneoplastic syndromes involving the central nervous system. Their early clinical identification might be an useful marker of an otherwise unknown visceral malignancy. Furthermore, they might also be suggestive for the particular type of cancer present. Once, therefore, the diagnosis of these paraneoplastic syndromes has been established, an appropriate evaluation for the asymptomatic neoplasm in cancer-free individuals or investigation for the malignancy recurrences in oncologic patients might be performed.

Diagnosis, Differential↗

PubMed1993

Paraneoplastic syndromes associated with lung cancer.

Paraneoplastic phenomena associated with primary lung cancer have diverse initial manifestations and epitomize the systemic nature of human malignant disease. The spectrum of clinical features in patients with paraneoplastic syndromes ranges from mild systemic or cutaneous disease to hypercoagulability and severe neuromyopathic disorders. Although the diagnosis is often one of exclusion, an improved understanding of the pathogenesis involved in some of these syndromes has provided another means of recognizing the disorders and perhaps treating the affected patients. Proposed mechanisms of paraneoplastic processes include the aberrant release of humoral mediators such as hormones and hormone-like peptides, cytokines, and antibodies. In this update, we review the potential mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment of paraneoplastic syndromes associated with lung cancer.

Endocrine System Diseases↗

PubMed1990

Paraneoplastic syndromes.

A given cancer is a disease which combines a paraneoplastic syndrome with an invasive tumour capable of giving rise to metastases. Surgeons, radiotherapists, medical oncologists and experimental scientists are primarily interested in the tumour. Tumours of tissues and organs which do not normally produce hormones might, during the neoplastic transformation, begin to secrete hormones or substances able to mimic hormones in their effects on other tissues in the organism. The number of known hormones has increased considerably in the last 20 years. It has been found that even in the absence of clinical signs there are often secretory abnormalities and changes in the hormone balance in cancer. The tumour-paraneoplastic syndrome interaction is bidirectional. That paraneoplastic syndromes are dependent upon the tumour, is universally accepted; the reverse, that the tumour might depend on the paraneoplastic syndrome is not part of the current way of thinking. To treat cancer patients, instead of debating the cause and effect in the tumour-paraneoplastic syndrome pair with the classical idea of acting as close to the cause as possible, it seems better, in all circumstances, to treat both the tumour and the paraneoplastic syndrome, even if only subclinical.

Humans↗

PubMed1993

Paraneoplastic syndromes associated with lung cancer.

Paraneoplastic syndromes are caused by systemic factors that are produced at a site distant from the primary tumor or its metastases. Although these syndromes can be observed in a variety of tumor types, they are commonly found in lung cancer, particularly small cell lung cancer. In this review, we focus on recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of two of the more well-documented paraneoplastic syndromes--endocrinologic and neurologic systemic manifestations of cancer.

Endocrine System Diseases↗

PubMed1975

[Cutaneous paraneoplastic syndromes (author's transl)].

Cutaneous paraneoplastic syndromes are nonspecific skin manifestations provoked by malignant tumors of internal organs, and which, as a first or early symptom, may suggest the presence of a malignant primary disease. It is necessary to differentiate between the rare, obligatory paraneoplastic dermatoses which are independent of age and almost always tumor specific and skin manifestations which may appear facultatively, usually only in advanced age, as paraneoplastic syndromes. To be excluded from these are non-paraneoplastic skin tumor syndromes which are caused either by a similarly directed carcinogenia noxa or by a common genetic factor.

Acanthosis Nigricans↗

PubMed2005

Hand involvement in paraneoplastic syndrome: a case report.

Cutaneous paraneoplastic syndromes are skin and mucous membrane changes that are associated with cancer. We report a previously healthy 76-year-old man who developed marked finger and thumb contracture, pain, and hypersensitivity of both hands who was diagnosed subsequently as having gastric carcinoma with colonic metastasis. After the gastrointestinal tumors were resected the finger and thumb contracture lessened and the pain eased. Both the temporal relationship between the changes in the hand and the neoplasm and the improvement after resection suggest a paraneoplastic syndrome.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Paraneoplastic syndromes: pathogenetic theories, clinical aspects and therapeutic approach].

Paraneoplastic syndromes are uncommon diseases with different pathogenesis and clinical manifestations, correlated with neoplasms but not due to the tumor, metastasis or other distant effects. The aim of the present article is to describe the main paraneoplastic syndromes (neurological, endocrine-metabolic, rheumatological, osteo-articular, dermatological, hematological, vascular and nephrological), the associated pathogenetic theories (theory of the common embryonal sketches, theory of reactivation of the information and autoimmune theory) and the most important therapeutic approaches, on the basis of the literature. Experimental works, reviews and clinical observations, in some cases still in progress, regarding the described syndromes, their pathogenesis and their therapeutic approach have been examined. No meta-analyses regarding paraneoplastic syndromes have been published in the literature. The better described pathogenesis is the autoimmune one, characteristic of neurological, nephrologic and some dermatologic syndromes, for which the clinical and laboratory findings have been well supported. The pathogenetic theories associated with the other syndromes have been correlated on the basis of the literature. Paraneoplastic syndromes are important because their identification permits an early diagnosis of tumors and rapid treatment, with a largely improved prognosis and life expectancy for the patient. They often represent the only signal of a silent neoplasm; sometimes they precede the tumor itself. More studies are necessary for a better definition of their clinical aspects and pathogenesis and to delineate standard guidelines for a diagnostic-therapeutic approach to these diseases.

Endocrine System Diseases↗

PubMed1998

Paraneoplastic syndromes in metastatic disease.

OBJECTIVES: To provide an overview of selected paraneoplastic syndromes associated with metastatic disease with potential life-threatening implications, and the nursing implications of each. DATA SOURCES: Published articles and book chapters related to paraneoplastic syndromes in metastatic disease. CONCLUSIONS: Paraneoplastic syndromes in metastatic disease are associated with various primary tumors and can affect many organ systems. Early recognition and management can minimize the potential life-threatening effects of the syndromes. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Oncology nurses need to be aware of the potential for paraneoplastic syndromes that can compromise a patient's health status. Appropriate assessment and intervention of paraneoplastic syndromes can have a positive impact on patient outcomes and quality of life.

Humans↗

PubMed2006

Cutaneous paraneoplastic syndrome (acrokeratosis paraneoplastica) preceding squamous cell carcinoma of the glottic larynx.

Paraneoplastic syndromes that occur in the minority of cancer patients are the produced signs and symptoms at distant sites from the tumour or its metastases. These syndromes may occur due to the production of substances by tumoural lesions that directly or indirectly cause distant symptoms or depletion of normal substances or host response to the tumours. A paraneoplastic syndrome may be the first sign of a malignancy so its recognition may be critical for early cancer detection. Most of the paraneoplastic syndromes associated with head and neck tumours are endocrinologic or neurologic; dermatologic syndromes are less common. Head and neck cancers also have occasionally been reported in association with paraneoplastic syndromes and to date there are only a few cases in the literature about the presence of a cutaneous paraneoplastic syndrome as the first manifestation of a laryngeal cancer, especially glottic larynx cancer. A wide variety of cutaneous syndromes are associated with malignancies and these syndromes may precede, follow, or be concurrent with the underlying malignancy. In this report we present a case with cutaneous syndrome of acrokeratosis paraneoplastica preceding squamous cell carcinoma of glottic larynx, and review the other cutaneous paraneoplastic syndromes reported in the literature.

Acrodermatitis↗

PubMed1992

Pathogenesis of central nervous system paraneoplastic syndromes.

The pathogenesis of central nervous system paraneoplastic syndromes has not been established. Increasing evidence supports the hypothesis that CNS paraneoplastic syndromes are immune disorders arising from an immune response to the underlying neoplasm. The hypothesis is that antigens or epitopes shared between the tumor and the nervous system are recognized as foreign by the host and elicit an immune response. The immune response is directed appropriately against the tumor leading to a more indolent course in those patients with paraneoplastic syndromes but is misdirected against the nervous system often leading to severe nervous system destruction. The evidence for this hypothesis consists of: 1) The finding of high titer autoantibodies that react with antigens in both tumor and central nervous system. 2) Intrathecal synthesis of the antibody. 3) The presence of the antibody in the central nervous system at autopsy. The development of animal models will be required to determine the exact nature of the pathogenesis of these disorders.

Autoantibodies↗

PubMed1998

[Immunology in the clinical practice. XVI. Paraneoplastic syndromes of the nervous system: pathogenesis and diagnosis].

Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes are believed to result from ectopic expression of onconeural antigens by tumours. The resulting immune response is not only directed against the tumour but also cross-reacts with the same or similar antigens in the nervous system. The immune response generates high titred autoantibodies that are associated with specific tumours and neurological syndromes. Paraneoplastic autoantibodies help diagnose neurological syndromes and help direct the search for an underlying tumour. In paraneoplastic syndromes, the course of the tumour is relatively mild. Detection of the autoantibodies might lead to early diagnosis and immunomodulation and anti-tumour treatment before irreversible neuronal cell loss and deficits set in.

Antibodies, Neoplasm↗

PubMed1991

[Autoimmunity and paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes].

Paraneoplastic syndromes affecting the nervous system are rare and their diagnosis is often difficult when the original cancer is unknown. Recently, high levels of antineuronal antibodies (AB) have been found in serum and CSF of some patients with paraneoplastic syndromes. The anti-Yo AB recognizes 2 proteins of 34 and 62 kd in the cytoplasm of Purkinje cells and in malignant cells of patients suffering from paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration associated with ovarian and breast cancer. The anti-Hu AB recognizes a 37-40 kd protein in nuclei of neurons and in tumor cells of patients suffering from subacute sensory neuronopathy and encephalomyelitis associated with small cell lung cancer. Other antineuronal AB have been more rarely identified. The presence of high titer of one of these AB in a patient with suspected paraneoplastic syndrome is of great practical interest since it confirms the neurological diagnosis and strongly suggests the location of the primary tumor when the malignancy is unknown. The pathogenetic role of the antineuronal AB is unknown but it is likely that some paraneoplastic syndromes affecting the nervous system are due to an immune reaction against antigens shared by the tumor and the nervous system. To date, no efficient treatment has been found.

Autoantibodies↗

PubMed1997

Paraneoplastic syndromes.

Most nervous system paraneoplastic syndromes probably result from an immune attack against antigens normally expressed only in the nervous system but aberrantly expressed in a cancer. Specific antibodies in serum and cerebrospinal fluid that react with the nervous system and the cancer can be used to characterize proteins usually restricted to the nervous system and to identify neurologic disorders as paraneoplastic caused by a specific tumor type.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Paraneoplastic syndromes associated with small cell lung cancer.

The term paraneoplastic syndrome refers to the ability of some tumors to produce signs and symptoms at a distance from the site of the primary tumor or its metastases. Paraneoplastic syndromes may develop before the diagnosis of carcinoma is made. Paraneoplastic syndromes associated with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) include endocrinologic abnormalities secondary to peptide hormone production, and neurologic sequelae due to autoantibody production. This article reviews the common paraneoplastic syndromes that may occur in patients with SCLC.

ACTH Syndrome, Ectopic↗

PubMed1988

[Hematologic or hemostaseologic "paraneoplastic syndromes" as prognostic factors?].

Paraneoplastic syndromes are early but seldom appearing remote effects of tumors. In contrast, hematological or hemostaseological tumor signs can be demonstrated nearly in every tumor patient, mostly, however, after prolonged disease. The signs result from interaction between tumor and host, they depend upon the monocyte-macrophage system and are mediated by interleukin-1. Therefore, strictly speaking, they are no paraneoplasias. By genetic instability and increasing heterogeneity, the tumor cell gradually overcomes this defence line and the clinical pictures of different metastatic diseases equalize slowly. Finally, main causes of death are equally occurring infectious and hemostaseological complications. They demonstrate the final breakdown of this defence system.

Blood Coagulation Disorders↗

PubMed2005

Neoplastic fever: a neglected paraneoplastic syndrome.

Neoplastic fever, a paraneoplastic syndrome caused by cancer itself, represents a diagnostic challenge for the clinician and is an important issue in supportive oncology. Timely recognition of this febrile condition by differentiating it from other cancer-associated fevers, such as infection and drug reaction, is essential for effective patient management. Although the pathophysiology of neoplastic fever is not well understood, it is suspected to be cytokine mediated. In clinical practice, when a patient with cancer presents with unexplained fever, extensive diagnostic studies are needed to differentiate neoplastic fever from nonneoplastic fever. Only after excluding identifiable etiologies of fever can the diagnosis of neoplastic fever be suspected. According to our experience, the naproxen test is a safe and useful test in differentiating neoplastic fever from infectious fever in patients with cancer. In addition, naproxen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have been effective in the management of neoplastic fever and offer a significant palliative benefit for the patient.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal↗

PubMed1991

[Paraneoplastic syndrome hematologic abnormalities].

The paraneoplastic syndrome (PNS) is an association of symptoms and signs not directly related to the site or local manifestations of a malignant tumor or its metastases. Hematologic abnormalities as PNS include erythrocytosis, anemia, neutrophilia, neutropenia, eosinophilia, thrombocytosis, thrombocytopenia, venous thromboembolism and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). These abnormalities are, by and large, due to the production of biologically active growth factors, hormones or as yet unidentified "humors" by the tumor. As our understanding of growth factors controlling hematopoiesis has increased in recent years, the biologic basis of hematologic PNS are better understood. For instance, tumor-associated neutrophilia is now known to be caused by the production of G-CSF by the tumor. The mechanism by which tumor causes thromboembolism have also been extensively investigated. Cancer cells induce platelet aggregation both in vitro and in vivo. Platelet aggregating material has been isolated and partially characterized from tumor cells. The involvement of platelet glycoprotein II b/IIIa in the tumor-platelet interaction has also been shown. Malignant cells contain a unique procoagulant, cancer procoagulant A, that directly activates factor X. Together with tissue factor, this procoagulant appears to have been contribute to a high incidence of thromboembolism in cancer patients. Better understanding of hematologic PNS is important for clinical care of the patients with cancer.

Anemia↗

PubMed2002

Paraneoplastic syndromes in urologic malignancy: the many faces of renal cell carcinoma.

Renal cell carcinoma is unique among the genitourinary malignancies in that close to one third of affected patients show signs and symptoms of a paraneoplastic syndrome. The paraneoplastic syndromes associated with renal cell carcinoma range from those manifesting in constitutional symptoms (ie, fever, cachexia, and weight loss) to those that result in specific metabolic and biochemical abnormalities (ie, hypercalcemia, nonmetastatic hepatic dysfunction, amyloidosis, etc). The presence of a paraneoplastic syndrome in a patient with renal cell carcinoma is neither a marker of metastatic disease nor necessarily indicative of a poor prognosis. The importance of understanding the pathophysiology and biology behind the many paraneoplastic syndromes associated with renal cell carcinoma lies in the fact that the presence of these protean symptoms may be the initial presentation of either primary or recurrent disease. In this review, we will describe the proposed mechanisms of action of the many paraneoplastic syndromes associated with renal cell carcinoma as well as outline the clinical evaluation and treatment options currently available for these noteworthy disorders.

Journal Article↗