» Articles » PMID: 21686968

Hypercalcaemia in Breast Cancer Patients: Not Always Bony Metastases

Overview
Journal BMJ Case Rep
Specialty General Medicine
Date 2011 Jun 21
PMID 21686968
Authors
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

An 80-year-old woman with a history of bilateral breast cancer was referred for investigation of hypercalcaemia, initially suspected to be bone metastasis. Sestamibi scan revealed the cause to be a large parathyroid adenoma which was then removed. Hypercalcaemia is the most frequent metabolic complication of breast cancer. Primary hyperparathyroidism is one of the most frequent causes of benign hypercalcaemia, but is often not considered in oncology patients. This case illustrates the importance of considering two primary pathologies.

References
1.
Vichayanrat A, Avramides A, Gardner B, Wallach S, Carter A . Primary hyperparathyroidism and breast cancer. Am J Med. 1976; 61(1):136-9. DOI: 10.1016/0002-9343(76)90056-5. View

2.
Rao V, Chaukar D, DCruz A . Hypercalcemia and treated breast cancers: the diagnostic dilemma. J Cancer Res Ther. 2009; 5(1):46-8. DOI: 10.4103/0973-1482.48770. View

3.
ABRAMS H, Spiro R, Goldstein N . Metastases in carcinoma; analysis of 1000 autopsied cases. Cancer. 1950; 3(1):74-85. DOI: 10.1002/1097-0142(1950)3:1<74::aid-cncr2820030111>3.0.co;2-7. View

4.
Michels K, Xue F, Brandt L, Ekbom A . Hyperparathyroidism and subsequent incidence of breast cancer. Int J Cancer. 2004; 110(3):449-51. DOI: 10.1002/ijc.20155. View

5.
Adami S, Marcocci C, Gatti D . Epidemiology of primary hyperparathyroidism in Europe. J Bone Miner Res. 2002; 17 Suppl 2:N18-23. View