Ectopic humoral syndromes induced by overproduction of peptide hormones, namely ectopic hormone syndromes, are best characterised by their clinical features. The number of cancer patients who suffer from these syndromes is thought to be very small, and there is a tendency among physicians to pay little attention to such conditions. However, recent progress in endocrinology, cytokine research and oncology has provided new information regarding the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of these syndromes.
