Quick Facts
What is a paraneoplastic syndrome?
A neoplasm is an abnormal growth in your body that may be cancerous. If something is “neoplastic,” it has to do with the neoplasm. A paraneoplastic syndrome is a set of symptoms that are caused by a cancer. The symptoms happen in a different area of your body from your cancer.
Most people with cancer don’t get a paraneoplastic syndrome.
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Paraneoplastic syndromes are caused by your cancer making hormones or your immune system making antibodies (substances that protect your body against certain infection) that flow through your blood
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Paraneoplastic syndromes cause different symptoms depending on the tissues and organs they occur in
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About 1 out of 5 people with cancer get a paraneoplastic syndrome—it's most common with lung cancer
