Treatment usually focuses on treating the underlying cancer while managing the symptoms, such as high calcium.
When found with lung cancer, they most commonly occur with squamous cell and small cell lung cancer.
The symptoms can involve virtually any body system and include symptoms that are not ordinarily associated with cancer.
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In some cases, the tumor directly secretes the substance responsible for symptoms.
When the substance damages healthy cells in addition to the tumor, it is a form of autoimmune response.
Symptoms can include thirst, muscle weakness, loss of appetite, confusion, abdominal pain, and depression.
When hypercalcemia is severe, other treatments are needed as well.
Other Types
Paraneoplastic syndromes can affect nearly any region of the body and cause many different symptoms.
A few other relatively common syndromes are listed here.
Acromegaly
In this syndrome, a lung tumor makes a hormone similar to growth hormone.
Hypoglycemia
Some lung tumors secrete substances that lower blood sugar levels.
When severe, confusion and loss of consciousness may occur.
This is most common with squamous cell lung cancer.
For that reason, treatment will need to be tailored for each individual cancer and syndrome.
It’s particularly important to be your own advocate if you are coping with a paraneoplastic syndrome.
National Organization for Rare Disorders.Paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes.
Henry, K.Paraneoplastic Syndromes: Definitions, Classification, Pathophysiology and Principles of Treatment.Seminars in Diagnostic Pathology.2019.
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Efthymiou, C., Spyratos, D., and T. Kontakiotis.Endocrine Paraneoplastic Syndromes in Lung Cancer.Hormones.
17(3):351-358.
(2019).Abeloff’s Clinical Oncology - 6th Edition.
