[Solid tumors and paraneoplastic glomerulonephritis]

Neoplastic diseases can cause renal damage directly or indirectly. Also their treatment can provoke renal damage. The incidence and prevalence of paraneoplastic glomerulonephritis, especially associated with solid tumors, are a matter of debate and the causal link between cancer and glomerular diseases remains unclear. Paraneoplastic glomerulonephritis is a rare occurrence, with a slightly higher prevalence in the elderly. The most common cancer types associated with paraneoplastic glomerular disease are carcinoma of the lung and the gastrointestinal tract. Membranous nephropathy is the most frequent but not the only presentation of paraneoplastic glomerulonephritis. Patients with unexplained nephrotic syndrome, especially if older than 60 years, with membranous nephropathy and/or with their own risk factors for malignancies should be screened for occult cancer at diagnosis and be followed up carefully after the diagnosis. The primary treatment of paraneoplastic glomerulopathy must be aimed at the cancer and immunosuppressive treatment must obviously be avoided.