PARANEOPLASTIC SYNDROMES

Course overview

PARANEOPLASTIC SYNDROMES ARE RARE DISORDERS WITH COMPLEX SYSTEMIC CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS DUE TO UNDERLYING MALIGNANCY. IN PARANEOPLASTIC SYNDROMES, THE MALIGNANT CELLS DO NOT DIRECTLY CAUSE SYMPTOMS RELATED TO METASTASIS; RATHER THEY GENERATE AUTOANTIBODIES, CYTOKINES, HORMONES, OR PEPTIDES THAT AFFECT MULTIPLE ORGAN SYSTEMS. SYMPTOMS CAN MANIFEST BEFORE OR AFTER THE DIAGNOSIS OF CANCER. PROMPT RECOGNITION OF THESE SYNDROMES IS CRITICAL AS IT MAY REVEAL HIDDEN MALIGNANCY WHICH CAN AFFECT THE CLINICAL OUTCOMES. THIS ACTIVITY ILLUSTRATES THE EVALUATION AND NEED FOR EARLY RECOGNITION OF PARANEOPLASTIC SYNDROMES AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING PATIENTS WITH THIS COMPLEX MEDICAL CONDITION.