Onconeural antibodies are developed by the immune system in response to specific neuronal antigens that are expressed by tumor cells as well as neurons. These tumor-released immunological mechanisms can be explained by modifications or mutations in these specific antigen proteins within cancer cells. Thus, it is possible that tumors express similar, but not completely identical forms of these neural antigens.

Onconeural antibodies can be found in patients with paraneoplastic neurological syndromes (PNS) which are well-defined as cancer-associated neurological diseases and characterized by severe and progressive neurological degeneration, remote from the tumor. Depending on the type of tumor, tumor cells express several antigens that can stimulate the formation of specific autoantibodies that are involved in the development of PNS, which precedes a tumor diagnosis.

It’s important to note that these onconeural antibodies can also be detected without a neurological syndrome and are specific for malignancy rather than for a particular neurological syndrome.

The production of these antibodies is closely related to specific tumors, which would still not be identified in patients at that point.

Thus, the timely identification of onconeural antibodies can help with early cancer diagnosis, successful treatment at an early stage and the treatment of PNS.

​

Typical symptoms of a neurological disease, that are also related to tumor PNS, include weakness, behavioral changes, loss of balance, seizures, disorientation, abnormal gait, muscle tremors, head tilt, voice changes, circling, unusual anxiety, lethargy, and more. Each of these signs requires attention to diagnose the associated neurological diseases or PNS related to tumor development. Therefore, dogs and cats with the clinical signs mentioned above should be screened for these diseases to detect possible tumors at a treatable stage. There are a variety of diagnostic tests to confirm neurological diseases that include CT or MRI scans, other imaging, electroencephalogram, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, complete blood cell analysis, blood biochemistry, thyroid testing, and urinalysis, which can be both complicated and expensive.

​