NEJM -- Paraneoplastic Syndromes Involving the Nervous System: "Paraneoplastic Syndromes Involving the Nervous System Robert B. Darnell, M.D., Ph.D., and Jerome B. Posner, M.D.

The term "paraneoplastic syndromes" refers to symptoms or signs resulting from damage to organs or tissues that are remote from the site of a malignant neoplasm or its metastases. Paraneoplastic syndromes can affect most organs and tissues. Widely known examples include cancer cachexia,1 hypercalcemia,2 Cushing's syndrome,3 and Trousseau's syndrome.4 Most of these paraneoplastic syndromes occur because the tumor secretes substances that mimic normal hormones or that interfere with circulating proteins. A few paraneoplastic neurologic disorders are caused by similar mechanisms (e.g., carcinoid myopathy and encephalopathy).5 However, most or all paraneoplastic neurologic disorders are immune-mediated. We ..."

Too long to be good! ;) - KK