Clinical Features of Cancer Polyarthritis (Carcinomatous Polyarthritis)

Age of the patient

Does the patient have evidence of a malignancy?

Number of joints affected

Is the arthritis asymmetric?

Did the arthritis have an explosive onset?

Does the arthritis affect the lower extremities predominantly?

Does the arthritis spare the small joints of the hand and the wrists?

Is the patient positive for rheumatoid factor?

Has the arthritis been resistant to therapy for degenerative arthritis (steroids, NSAIDS, etc)?

Have arthritic symptoms improved following successful cancer therapy?

Is the joint pain associated with a metastasis to a bone adjacent to a joint?

Is there direct tumor invasion into a joint?