Summary
Paraneoplastic syndromes are clinically important disturbances of function in distant organs of the human cancer patient. They appear to arise because partially differentiated cells in specific tissues, when transformed, retain some specialized synthetic capacities of their tissues of origin, while expressing others which result in rapid growth, mobility, broaching of the basement membrane, and lack of feedback inhibition. The result is the production and release into circulation of unusual amounts and/or varieties of macromolecules, which may result in unphysiological over- or underactivity of a number of distant host target organs. The products involved should be studied as possible ontogenic-phase-specific tissue macromolecules.
Presented at the Third Conference on Embryonic and Fetal Antigens in Cancer, November 4 to 7, 1973, Knoxville, Tenn.
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