This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Douglas, C. A Articles by Ellershaw, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Douglas, C. A Articles by Ellershaw, J. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Anti-Hu antibodies may indicate a positive response to chemotherapy in paraneoplastic syndrome secondary to small cell lung cancer

John Ellershaw

Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Marie Curie Centre, Liverpool

Paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis (PEM) is a form of neurological dysfunction caused by the remote effect of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) on the brain. In certain cases it is associated with the presence of Anti-Hu antibodies. Up to 65% of patients with SCLC and PEM, who have Anti-Hu antibodies present, die of neurological complications rather than tumour progression. Chemotherapy is not believed to be beneficial. We describe a 58-year-old lady who was bed-bound and significantly disabled from paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration. Her serology confirmed the presence of Anti-Hu antibodies and SCLC was confirmed at bronchoscopy. Following six courses of chemotherapy her neurological symptoms have remarkably improved, both subjectively and objectively, such that she is now independently mobile with a walking frame. Her tumour is still evident on bronchoscopy. We suggest that people with SCLC who are significantly disabled by neurological symptoms, should be tested for serum anti-neuronal antibodies and if Anti-Hu antibody positive, anti-neoplastic treatment should be considered despite poor performance status.

Key Words: paraneoplastic syndrome • small cell lung cancer

Palliative Medicine, Vol. 17, No. 7, 638-639 (2003)
DOI: 10.1191/0269216303pm758cr


CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. T. Chang, F.-H. Wong, C.-T. Liao, I-H. Chen, H.-M. Wang, and A.-J. Cheng Enzyme Immunoassay for Serum Autoantibody to Survivin and Its Findings in Head-and-Neck Cancer Patients Clin. Chem., July 1, 2004; 50(7): 1261 - 1264. [Full Text] [PDF]