I have a cousin that was told she has paraneoplastic syndrome. They can not find a tumor anywhere in her body. She does however have terrible pain in her mouth. If they are detecting this in her blood.....should there not be something somewhere producing this ? detector in her blood?
Hi, Thanks for writing in. A paraneoplastic syn Chat Doctor.  Sometimes such tumors can remain hidden in locations which are not easily accessible for evaluation. These are known as occult locations and need to be diagnosed with precise tests and investigations. A single test might not help in locating these tumors and this requires that the person should be under observation and series of tests to be done. Minimally invasive investigations like endoscopy or higher imaging scans might help. There are neuroendocrine tests to measure the amount of neuroendocrine transmitter chemicals in various organs and blood channels. Sampling process needs to be done specifically and involves an oncology team discussion. Please do not worry.