Table 6.8 Paraneoplastic signs in cancer.
| Clinical sign | Neoplasm | Cause |
| Weight loss - cachexia | All types - particularly malignancies | Complex alterations in carbohydrate, lipid and protein metabolism. Inappetance or anorexia |
| Weakness, tremors, behaviour changes, collapse, seizures, coma | Insulinoma, liver tumours,lymphoma, large tumours, e.g. fibrosarcoma | Hypoglycaemia |
| Polydipsia, polyuria, cardiac arrhythmias, renal disease (nephrocalcinosis), vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of appetite | Lymphoma, multiple myeloma, perianal adenocarcinoma, secondary bone metastases, mammary carcinomas, parathyroid tumours | Hypercalcaemia |
| Reduced skin turgor. High PCV. Electrolyte imbalance | Any tumour | Dehydration |
| Polyphagia, polydipsia, polyuria, hyperactivity, weight loss, dyspnoea, tachycardia, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy | Thyroid adenoma (cats), thyroid carcinoma (dogs) | Hyperthyroidism |
| Collapse. Haemorrhagic gastroenteritis | Mast cell tumour | Hyperhistaminaemia |
| Haemorrhagic gastroenteritis | Pancreatic tumour (gastrinoma) | Hypergastrinaemia |
| Acute blindness due to retinal detachment, renal failure, cardiac faliure | Thyroid tumour, renal tumour, renal tumour, phaeochromocytoma | Hypertension |
| Bleeding, lethargy, pale mucous membranes, hypervolaemia | Any tumour - particularly haematopoietic, hameangiosarcoma, leukaemia | Anaemia, thrombocytopenia, abnormal coagulation |
| Seizures, renal disease | Multiple myeloma, lymphoma, leukaemia | Hypergammaglobulinaemia |
| Polydipsia, polyuria | Adrenal tumour (Cushing's syndrome) | Hyperadrenocorticism |
| Reduced appetite | Brain tumour | Suppression of hypothalamic function |
| Unilateral reduced testicular size, pendulous prepuce,pancytopenia | Sertoli cell tumour | Excessive oestrogen production |
| Thrombotic infarcts, bleeding and diathesis | Any tumour but especially haematopietic tumours, haemangiosarcoma, carcinoma, lymphosarcoma, granulocytic leukaemia | Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) |
| Lameness, periosteal reaction | Any tumour mass in chest (primary or secondary, benign or malignant) | Hypertrophic oesteopathy - causes unknown |
| Intermittent weakness and collapse on exercise | Thymoma | Myasthenia gravis |