Paraneoplastic Syndromes

Paraneoplastic syndromes are a group of rare disorders triggered by a person's immune system in response to a cancerous tumor. The syndromes affect your peripheral nervous system, which controls

CAUSES
The exact cause of the syndromes is not known. However, these syndromes are believed to occur when the cells that fight cancer (white blood cells or T cells) attack normal cells by mistake in the nervous system.

RISK FACTORS
This condition is more likely to develop in people who:
• Are middle-aged and older.
• Have lung, ovarian, lymphatic, or breast cancer.

SYMPTOMS
Symptoms generally develop over a period of days to weeks. Symptoms include:
• Trouble walking.
• Trouble swallowing.
• Loss of …show more content…
• Slurred speech.
• Memory loss.
• Vision problems.
• Seizures.
• Loss of feeling in the limbs.
Symptoms of the syndromes usually occur before the cancerous tumor is found.

DIAGNOSIS
Diagnosis will include a medical history and a physical exam. You will also have tests done, which will depend on your symptoms and the specific syndrome your health care provider thinks you have. Tests may include:
• Blood tests.
• A procedure in which a small amount of the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord is removed and examined (lumbar puncture or spinal tap).
• MRI.
Your health care provider will also stage your cancer to determine its severity and extent. Staging is an assessment of:
• The size of the tumor.
• If the cancer has spread.
• Where the cancer has spread.

TREATMENT
There is no cure for the syndromes. Treatment will first focus on treating whatever cancer you have. Then, treatment will focus on helping your immune system lower its response to the tumor. This may be done with:
• Steroids.
• High-dose immunoglobulin.
• Irradiation.
• Blood cleansing (plasmapheresis)
Speech and physical therapy may also be