[Paraneoplastic syndromes associated with urogenital tumours: an up-to-date review]

Paraneoplastic syndromes induced by inappropriate-ectopic production of hormones, cytokines and growth factors, therefore not mediated directly by local infiltration or metastatic spread, occur in approximately 10 per cent of patients with malignant disease in initial phase. Subjects with paraneoplastic syndromes often are affected by small occult tumors which may be diagnosed only at autopsy. Inappropriate secretion of peptide hormones is the commonest cause of paraneoplastic syndromes. On the basis of an up-to-date review of the literature, this article discusses pathogenetic mechanisms, diagnostic features and essential therapeutic measures concerning the syndromes of inappropriate ACTH/CRH, PTHrp, TRH/TSH, ADH and MSH secretion. Moreover, some of paraneoplastic syndromes, that are associated with production of cytokines and growth factors by either tumor- or non malignant host microenvironment -cells, are briefly outlined.