jimbaxter8180
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Posts:20
Hi, 7 years ago Dr West was talking about paraneoplastic syndromes and stated that
"I have never encountered a patient who was found to have a cancer by prior diagnosis of a paraneoplastic syndrome, except for multiple blood clots (the risk for developing blood clots is 4-6 times higher in someone with cancer than in other people)."
With the advancement of blood antibody tests I was wondering if the situation was still the same. I am waiting for some blood test results to come back and it made me think that my doc would not have even run the tests a few years ago.
I realise that this is a hypothetical question but I was wondering how things are advancing.
Jim
Forums
Reply # - August 19, 2016, 08:18 AM
Hi Jim,
Hi Jim,
Since I don't want to speculate on the specific meaning of Dr. West's comment in that earlier thread, I will ask him about it and we will post an answer to your question.
JimC
Forum moderator
Reply # - August 19, 2016, 09:47 AM
I have since had a couple of
I have since had a couple of people in whom a paraneoplastic syndrome led to the diagnosis of small cell lung cancer, but it was always by doing imaging that showed a lung lesion in someone in whom there was new suspicion. We are not at a point of diagnosing lung cancer by a blood test, and the growing enthusiasm for "liquid biopsies" is almost exclusively limited to looking at the blood as a source for additional cancer cells for further study after a diagnosis has been made by a tissue biopsy. A tissue biopsy of a concerning nodule or mass remains the overwhelming standard as a means of diagnosing cancer.
Good luck.
-Dr. West
Reply # - August 19, 2016, 11:40 AM
Dr West and Jim,
Dr West and Jim,
Thank you for replying so quickly. It is helpful having an insight from people at the work face of this disease, it allows me to put into perspective some of the articles written on paraneoplastic syndromes and the serum tests. After reading some of them I had the impression that it was quite common for someone to present with a paraneoplastic syndrome on the route to diagnosis. You have allowed me to look at the much bigger picture which clearly shows the mistake of looking at things at a detailed level when you don't really understand it. You guys are amazing,
Jim