ABSTRACT
Paraneoplastic syndrome (PS) is a dysfunction of organs or systems, associated with neoplastic disease, but not related to the local growth of tumor, metastasis or adverse anti-cancer drugs reactions. Neurological paraneoplastic syndromes (NPSs) may affect every region of a human nervous system – both central, peripheral, and/or autonomic nervous system. The symptoms are caused by a neoplastic process in other organ or system. PNSs usually precede the development of cancer for months or even years, and can be therefore useful diagnostic markers of cancer. They present an autoimmune background associated with the response of the immune system against cancer cells. In the blood serum and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with PNS appear onconeural antibodies, reacting with tumor antigens and the brain, the spinal cord and peripheral ganglia antigens. Many authors emphasize the significance of paraneoplastic syndromes in the modern oncology. Due to this reason, the knowledge of paraneoplastic syndromes and their mechanisms is very important in the contemporary medicine. The purpose of this research review is to summarize the information about the clinical features of the most common PNSs and the pathological mechanisms of their development.
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