Hyperparathyroidism and Cancer

Abstract

A case is reported in which hypercalcaemia was accidently discovered during hospital admission for unrelated reasons. The patient was found later to have anaplastic carcinoma of the cervix uteri. It was at first difficult to decide whether her hypercalcemia was due to the carcinoma or to primary hyperparathyroidism. The hypercalcemia was unaltered by radium therapy to the cervix and later by our standard cortisone test. Furthermore, she had minimal subperiosteal phalangeal erosions and a slight rise in plasma alkaline phosphatase level. A diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism was therefore made. A parathyroid tumor was then found and removed.