UC Irvine

A significant fever in patients with cancer is always a serious concern. Though it usually indicates the presence of an infection, a source is sometimes difficult to detect – and is not always found – even after an extensive investigation. This often leaves the caring physician perplexed and concerned. As cancer patients undergo several types of treatments such as antineoplastic chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, radiation therapy, surgery, and blood transfusions, the differential diagnosis for fever can become more complicated and requires a carefully measured evaluation. Among the variety of causes of fever, one of not uncommon etiology is fever of paraneoplastic manifestation, which is a febrile condition occurring as a result of the biologic effects from cancer itself.