Myasthenic syndrome and small cell cancer of the lung. Variable response to antineoplastic therapy.

Myasthenic syndrome secondary to small cell lung cancer has been studied in five patients who achieved complete remission with chemotherapy. The relationship between response or relapse of the neoplasm to therapy and the activity of the myasthenic syndrome is variable. This inconsistent clinical correlation between the cancer and its paraneoplastic syndrome is examined in view of current data on the immunologic basis of myasthenic syndrome.