PAEA Surgery EOR Exam 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

Paraneoplastic syndromes are a group of disorders that result from the effects of tumors, specifically due to the secretion of bioactive substances, typically hormones or hormone-like substances, from the tumor cells themselves. These substances can mimic the effects of normal hormones, leading to a range of physiological changes in the body that are not directly attributable to local tumor growth or metastasis.

The hormones released by tumors can have systemic effects, leading to various clinical manifestations that may involve different organ systems. For example, some tumors can produce excessive amounts of hormones like insulin (leading to hypoglycemia), or substances that mimic adrenal hormones, contributing to conditions like Cushing's syndrome or hypercalcemia. These syndromes can significantly complicate the patient's clinical picture, requiring careful management.

Understanding that paraneoplastic syndromes predominantly arise from tumor secretions helps to differentiate them from other causes such as bone marrow suppression, infections, or allergic reactions, which generally don't stem from the neoplasm itself in the same manner as the aberrant secretion of hormones or similar agents.