The Positive Predictive Value of Onconeural Antibody Testing: A Retrospective Review

Abstract

Paraneoplastic syndromes (PNS) are immune-mediated neurologic diseases that occur as an indirect effect of malignancy, and can be challenging to diagnose. Onconeural antibodies have a greater than 95% association with cancer, and their presence in a patient with neurologic symptoms is reportedly highly indicative of PNS. However, we performed a single-centre retrospective review to determine the positive predictive value of onconeural antibody testing, and found it to be concerningly low (39%). Recognising the limitations of onconeural antibody testing is critical to ensure accurate test interpretation, avoid unnecessary repeated malignancy screening and prevent the use of potentially hazardous immunotherapy.

Keywords: Neuro-oncology—medical; Neuroimmunology; Paraneoplastic conditions; Paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis.