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Hypercalcemia in carcinoma of the breast without evidence of bone destruction: Beneficial effect of hormonal therapy
Author(s) -
Sztern Mario,
Barkan Ariel,
Marilus Raphael,
Blum Ilana,
Rakowsky Erika,
ShainkinKestenbaum Ruth
Publication year - 1981
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(19811201)48:11<2383::aid-cncr2820481108>3.0.co;2-n
Subject(s) - medicine , breast carcinoma , tamoxifen , hypophosphatemia , pleural effusion , hormonal therapy , concomitant , carcinoma , lung , endocrinology , hormone , breast cancer , gastroenterology , urology , cancer
A premenopausal woman with soft tissue metastases from a carcinoma of the breast developed hypercalcemia with hypophosphatemia, reduced tubular reabsorption of phosphate, elevated urinary cyclic AMP levels and normal serum PTH levels. During the course of the disease, metastatic pleural effusion which contained high PTH levels was observed. Hormonal therapy with testosterone followed by tamoxifen induced normalization of her serum calcium concomitant with the disappearance of the pleural effusion and reduction in the size of her lung metastases. The correlation between the efficacy of antitumor treatment on pleural effusion, lung metastases, and normalization of serum calcium, as well as the elevated PTH level in the pleural effusion, suggest that this breast carcinoma secreted a PTH‐like substance.