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Hypercalcemia in epidermoid tumors of the head and neck and esophagus
Author(s) -
Stephens Ronald L.,
Hansen Heine H.,
Muggia Franco M.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197306)31:6<1487::aid-cncr2820310626>3.0.co;2-m
Subject(s) - medicine , epidermoid carcinoma , esophagus , squamous carcinoma , biopsy , carcinoma , surgery , pathology , radiology
Over a 3‐year period, 11 of 44 patients (25%) with epidermoid carcinoma arising in the head and neck and 9 of 16 patients (56%) with epidermoid carcinoma of the esophagus manifested hypercalcemia. All of these patients had advanced disease which recurred following surgery and/or radiotherapy, or was disseminated at the outset. However, widespread carcinoma in bone was uncommon, and no osseous metastases were found in 14 of 20 hypercalcemic patients in both groups. Only 4 of these 14 without definite bone involvement failed to have a reasonable search for bone metastases, such as an x‐ray bone survey, bone marrow biopsy, or autopsy exam. The findings deserve emphasis as an unrecognized common clinical feature in these patients. In addition, the high frequency of this complication in patients with epidermoid carcinoma arising in these anatomic sites and in the lung raises questions regarding shared pathogenetic mechanisms. Certain types of malignant epidermoid tumors appear capable of producing ectopic hormones with hypercalcemic properties (parathormone), and/or a propensity for seeding bone with resultant extensive bone resorption. It is concluded that epidermoid tumors arising in these anatomical locations deserve careful evaluation for hypercalcemic contributions to advancing symptoms otherwise considered less remedial.