Screening for Cancer
Cancer Screening Steps
A thorough patient history can help uncover key clues
Review timing of symptom onset in relation to symptom spread or exacerbation
SCLC-associated has a more rapid and aggressive onset than SCLC not associated with LEMS; this can help reveal the signs of an occult tumor51,52
Verify current or past tobacco use
The majority of cancer-related LEMS cases occur in people with a history of smoking4,11,12,41
If you suspect cancer
DELTA-P scoring can provide more
information46,49
An X-ray, PET scan, or CT scan can reveal tumor presence4,41
delta-p score
DELTA-P (Dutch-English LEMS Tumor Association Prediction) Score
The DELTA-P score is a clinical tool developed in 2011 by Titulaer and colleagues—and validated in a 2020
prospective cohort study—that helps predict the risk of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) in patients with Lambert-
Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS).49,50
The abbreviation is also a mnemonic that highlights the signs associated with SCLC-associated LEMS.
Each item is
scored equally50
Total score ranges from 0-6, with higher scores linked to greater likelihood of small cell lung cancer (SCLC)50
DELTA-P predicts SCLC with
reliability early in the course of LEMS50
*Karnofsky Performance Score is an attempt to quantify cancer patients’ general well-being and their quality of life. The score runs from 100 to 0, where 100 = perfect health and 0 = death. A cutoff value of 70 was chosen; those with values below 70 need at least occasional assistance for activities of daily living.50