Paraneoplastic Syndrome & Colon Cancer

Paraneoplastic syndromes are abnormalities caused by the body's mistaken autoimmune reactions to the presence of cancerous tumors called neoplasms. Certain paraneoplastic syndromes develop in response to the presence of cancer in the colon.

The Facts

• Paraneoplastic reactions occur when white blood cells called T-cells and antibodies activate in response to cancer cells, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Instead of attacking the cancer, some of these immune system components mistakenly attack healthy tissue.

Kidney Responses

• Individuals with colon cancer may develop a kidney-related paraneoplastic syndrome called membranous glomerulonephritis, according to the Merck Manuals Online Medical Library. In this syndrome, inflammation and structural changes occur in the glomerular basement membrane, which filters waste inside the kidneys.

Rheumatic Responses

• Individuals with colon cancer may also develop rheumatic diseases, such as polymyalgia or rheumatic polyarthritis, as a result of a paraneoplastic response, the Merck Manuals online library reports.

Additional Causes

• Kidney-related (renal) paraneoplastic syndromes may also result from lymphoma or ovarian cancer, while rheumatic paraneoplastic syndromes may also result from cancers of the blood, prostate or pancreas, the Merck Manuals online library notes.

Treatment

• Treatment for paraneoplastic syndromes centers on the underlying cancer, with secondary treatments, such as steroids designed to address the faulty immune response, the institute reports.