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Paraneoplastic syndrome
Pronunciation
Definition 1
A group of symptoms that may develop when substances released by some cancer cells disrupt the normal function of surrounding cells and tissue. (NCI Dictionary)
Definition 2
A classification for rare disorders of diverse organ systems (endocrine, neuromuscular, gastrointestinal, renal, dermatologic, rheumatologic, hematologic) that are affected by substances secreted by a distant neoplasm but not by the action of the neoplasm itself metastasizing to that organ or tissue. Less than 1 % of neoplasms are associated with these syndromes. An immune-mediated response to neoplasm-elaborated proteins may be the cause of these syndromes. Additionally, their manifestation may signal the presence of an occult neoplasm, potentially at an earlier stage of disease thereby leading to a better clinical outcome. Constitutional signs may include fever, night sweats, anorexia and cachexia. Clinical course is usually progressive. Prognosis is variable depending on the effective treatment of the underlying neoplasm. (NCI Thesaurus)
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