P/Q-type calcium channel antibodies, Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome and survival in small cell lung cancer

To assess the survival impact of the presence of P/Q-type calcium channel antibodies in patients with small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC), we examined the frequency of the antibodies and Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) in 148 consecutive patients with SCLC, and in 30 patients with paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration and SCLC, and studied their relation with survival. In both series, only patients with LEMS had a remarkably long survival, whereas presence of the antibodies without LEMS did not result in a better prognosis. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.