The American journal of the medical sciences
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Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes (PNS) are uncommon and imperfectly understood and, therefore, are frequently underdiagnosed. ⋯ PNS often antedate the diagnosis of cancer, offering an opportunity for detecting cancer at an earlier and curable stage. Tests for paraneoplastic antibodies are often negative and do not rule out the diagnosis of a paraneoplastic syndrome. Certain clinical presentations should suggest a paraneoplastic syndrome, even in the absence of paraneoplastic antibodies, and prompt a thorough search for occult malignancy.