The fact that a small cancer hidden in the chest, abdomen, or pelvis could
destroy or damage portions of the nervous system, such as cerebellar Purkin
je cells or cholinergic synapses, has intrigued neurologists since paraneop
lastic syndromes were first described. In 1965, when little was known about
their pathogenesis, a full issue of the journal Brain and an international
symposium were devoted to paraneoplastic disorders. In this decade, the di
scovery of several paraneoplastic antibodies that react with both the nervo
us system and the causal cancer has rekindled interest in these syndromes (
Table). Several other factors make these rare syndromes of clinical and sci
entific interest. A recent review by Dalmau and Posner(1) contains a more c
omprehensive bibliography of paraneoplastic syndromes.