Persistent urinary phosphate wasting in a patient with metastatic breast cancer: What's your diagnosis?

Clin Nephrol. 2021 Feb;95(2):99-103. doi: 10.5414/CN110139.

Abstract

Tumor-induced osteomalacia (TIO) can cause severe, persistent hypo-phosphatemia due to high fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) levels, which lead to uri-nary phosphate wasting. TIO is frequently encountered in association with mesenchy-mal tumors and responds well to resection of the primary malignancy. Rarely, TIO may be seen as a paraneoplastic phenomenon with solid organ malignancies where correction of biochemical abnormalities requires ongoing phosphorus replacement. We report a case of TIO in a patient with metastatic breast cancer complicated by increased parathyroid hormone release secondary to denosumab-induced hypocalcemia. The patient required intensive intravenous and oral phosphate supplementation in addition to vitamin D repletion. A high index of clinical suspicion can yield the correct diagnosis where TIO arises in the setting of a solid organ tumor and help the clinician appropriately manage these challenging cases.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Breast Neoplasms* / complications
  • Breast Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Female
  • Fibroblast Growth Factor-23
  • Humans
  • Hypocalcemia
  • Osteomalacia* / etiology
  • Osteomalacia* / urine
  • Paraneoplastic Syndromes* / etiology
  • Paraneoplastic Syndromes* / urine
  • Phosphates* / administration & dosage
  • Phosphates* / therapeutic use
  • Phosphates* / urine

Substances

  • FGF23 protein, human
  • Phosphates
  • Fibroblast Growth Factor-23

Supplementary concepts

  • Oncogenic osteomalacia