Which of the following is most likely to be a paraneoplastic syndrome rather than a direct effect of tumor mass or metastasis?
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Correct answer: Hypercalcemia from PTHrP secreted by a squamous cell carcinoma
Paraneoplastic syndromes are mediated by substances secreted by tumor cells (e.g., PTHrP causing hypercalcemia), not by direct mass effect or metastasis.
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