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Patients with LEMS should be examined and then treated by a neurologist (a doctor who specialises in nerves)
and if appropriate a cancer specialist (also known as an oncologist).



If a cancer is identified, the first concern will be the appropriate treatment of that cancer.
Treatment of LEMS symptoms may include medications to improve transmission of nerve impulses as
well as agents to reduce the number of antibodies.
There are 3 types of therapeutic interventions in LEMS:

Treatments aimed at reducing the number of antibodies - if there are fewer antibodies to attack the nerves, muscles will work better:

- Intravenous immunoglobulin - mops up a lot of the antibodies
- Plasmapheresis - a process where the blood is filtered to remove the antibodies
- Corticosteroids, cyclosporine or azathioprine - used to suppress the immune system
- Monoclonal Antibodies - attach to the antibodies and stop them from working
Treatments aimed at increasing the amount of acetylcholine received by the muscle
 
- Cholinesterase inhibitors - reduce the breakdown of acetylcholine so more of the signal generated
reaches the muscle
Treatments aimed at increasing the amount of acetylcholine released
 
- Aminopyridines - cause more acetylcholine to be released and so increase the number of nerve impulses

 

The outcome for people with LEMS varies widely. 
The most important factor is whether there is an existing cancer.
Patients who have a diagnosis of LEMS should be thoroughly screened for the presence of a previously undetected cancer.  If none is found, the patient should undergo checks to monitor for a cancer for a number of years.