Radiotherapy and Small Cell Carcinoma With Paraneoplastic Polyneuropathy: A Case Report
Authors: Brahma D. Natarajan, Corbin D. Jacobs, Joseph K. Salama
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2019)

Letters17 September 2019Radiotherapy and Small Cell Carcinoma With Paraneoplastic Polyneuropathy: A Case ReportBrahma D. Natarajan, MD, Corbin D. Jacobs, MD, and Joseph K. Salama, MDBrahma D. Natarajan, MDDuke University, Durham, North Carolina (B.D.N., C.D.J., J.K.S.)Search for more papers by this author, Corbin D. Jacobs, MDDuke University, Durham, North Carolina (B.D.N., C.D.J., J.K.S.)Search for more papers by this author, and Joseph K. Salama, MDDuke University, Durham, North Carolina (B.D.N., C.D.J., J.K.S.)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/L19-0236 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Background: Small cell carcinoma is an aggressive cancer known for early and rapid metastasis. Standard treatment involves platinum-based chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy, which provides a median survival of 18 to 24 months (1). Paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes are rare (0.01% of patients with cancer), but when they do occur are often associated with small cell carcinoma (2).Objective: To alert clinicians to the possibility that radiotherapy alone might effectively treat patients with extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma and a paraneoplastic neurologic syndrome.Case Report: A 71-year-old man first presented with unintentional weight loss. He had never used tobacco. He was subsequently diagnosed ...References1. Walenkamp AM, Sonke GS, Sleijfer DT. Clinical and therapeutic aspects of extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma. Cancer Treat Rev. 2009;35:228-36. [PMID: 19068273] doi:10.1016/j.ctrv.2008.10.007 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Darnell RB, Posner JB. Paraneoplastic syndromes involving the nervous system. N Engl J Med. 2003;349:1543-54. [PMID: 14561798] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Lee CM, Lee JD, Hobson-Webb LD, et al. Treatment of thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis with stereotactic body radiotherapy: a case report. Ann Intern Med. 2016;165:300-1. [PMID: 26974367]. doi:10.7326/L15-0469 LinkGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Duke University, Durham, North Carolina (B.D.N., C.D.J., J.K.S.)Acknowledgment: The authors thank Dr. Brandon Howard for his assistance in obtaining the PET images.Disclosures: Authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest. Forms can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=L19-0236.This article was published at Annals.org on 25 June 2019. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics 17 September 2019Volume 171, Issue 6Page: 440-441KeywordsMyelodysplastic syndromesNeuropathyPatient advocacyPositron emission tomographyReflexesResearch laboratoriesSpineThymomaWeight lossWheelchairs ePublished: 25 June 2019 Issue Published: 17 September 2019 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2019 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...