Hypercalcemia in breast cancer. Reassessment of the mechanism

Carlos Isales, Maria L. Carcangiu, Andrew F. Stewart

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

62 Scopus citations

Abstract

Hypercalcemia in patients with breast cancer is usually attributed to osteolytic bone metastases. Seventeen patients with biopsy-proved breast cancer and hypercalcemia were identified in a prospective, unselected manner. Biochemical and clinical evaluation included measurements of parathyroid hormone, nephrogenous cAMP, vitamin D metabolites, fasting calcium excretion, and maximal tubular phosphate reabsorption, and bone radionuclide scanning. Tumor histologic findings were also reviewed. Four of the 17 patients (23.5 percent) had no evidence of bone involvement by bone scanning or radiography. Two additional patients (a total of 35 percent) appeared to have a humoral component to their hypercalcemia as determined by the presence of elevated nephrogenous cAMP excretion. These observations suggest that humoral, tumor-derived products may play a more important role in the hypercalcemia of breast cancer than has been previously recognized.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1143-1147
Number of pages5
JournalThe American Journal of Medicine
Volume82
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1987
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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