Parathyroid disease and breast cancer
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Hello
JAN69I
read your post and if I were you I would insist on getting tests for
thyroid and parathyroid if you have concerns. If you read the post I
sent to Peggy you will see there is a lot of information about what
to do. Doctors say that parathyroid problems are 'rare' but I think
they are underdiagnosed. Get your PTH checked. If it is high the
parathyroid is over-active and you need a sestamibi scan. If it is
left you will end up with osteoporosis.Good
luck.Sylvia
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Thanks Sylvia, I see an endocrinologist at University of California Los Angeles who is a professor of endo. She checks my pth and calcium and other stuff along with ultra sound every 3 or 6 months. Everything is in normal range except those nodules, so she is just "keeping track" of them. Wish they could get enough material when they biopsy. I try to put this all in the back of my mind and focus (worry) on lumps and bumps, aches and pains. I wish I was still working so that my mind would be busy with other things for 8 hours a day. Sob. Pity party today. Look out, I might be dangerous. Jan
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so
dx with ILC in 2008-- lumpectomy, chemo, rads.
Got a cold last winter, then shingles, then could not get better for the life of me-- in a CT scan of my lungs an incidental finding on the thyroid came up-- 2 nodules--one large enough to be biopsied. And, it was malignant, had thyroid out in July, went on drugs and just this week completed a very light dose of radioactive iodine. I never had thyroid issues, no one ever felt any swelling-- usually felt great.
But I must admit, since they have taken it out, I feel fantastic!!! so I wonder if I had some sort of low level thyroid thing going on. I did ask my Dana Farber onc if she thought there was any conncection between the two and she said no. The good news is pappillary thyroid cancer is pretty much curable.....
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I've done a lot of research about thyroid disease due to having Hashimoto's. Just wish I'd done it sooner. If I had, I would have insisted upon regular vitamin D testing. I think that, low vitamin D levels, is the link between thyroid disease and breast cancer. Lord only knows how long my thyroid was screwed up before it was diagnosed and for several years I just took my thyroid meds and shut-up. At 50 my gyno ordered a bone scan (regular thing to do when you turn 50 I guess) and discovered a small amount of bone lose, so she ordered vitamin D levels tested. I had basically none, very, very low, again lord knows for how long, because the endocrinologist never checked. Many studies show a link between low vitamin D and thyroid disease (which causes which is hard to sort out) and a very strong link between breast cancer and vitamin D deficiencies. The incidence rate of breast cancer in places that get little sun, as opposed to those that get a lot of sunshine, is startling. I recently pulled up a breast cancer incidence map of the U.S. (sorry I don't remember the website, but it showed incidences per 100,000 person of lots of different types of cancer w color coded maps) and the incidence of breast cancer in the northern states v southern states was readily apparent.
Found the website from the CDC http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/statistics/state.htm
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So much confusion between regular/plain thyroid conditions and the PARAthyroid disease our original poster was trying to highlight!
Both issues are very important to those who suffer from these illnesses. I would like to suggest we consider moving these topics to the forum titled "BC and Another Diagnosis or Comorbidity", especially because you IDC gals are so numerous, this thread keeps getting lost among many other concerns (I mostly follow the lobular/ILC ladies).
I came here due to Sylvia's effort in keeping the High Calcium pages going, which I found by doing a search. I agree with her that PT abnormalities are probably more common than currently recognized. It can be dangerous to supplement with too much vitamin D if you have undetected glandular problems - be sure to educate yourself...
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Hello everyone,
I have just been catching up on some of the latest posts on this thread. I was so glad to discover that it had had some recent posts. I think it is very important to keep this thread going and to refer people to it. It was started by sam52 and she and I got to know each other on this thread and the High calcium thread in the other forum when we were both going through the problem of hyperparathyroidism and getting ready for treatment. I shall try to get her back on both threads.
We both had surgery to remove the offending adenoma. She had minimal invasive surgery and I just had full surgery, but I think we both stayed in hospital just overnight. My consultant breast cancer surgeon/endocrinologist checked my calcium levels the day after surgery and told me I could go home.
We have to remember not to mix up hyperparathyroidism (over active) or hypoparathyroidism (under active) with hyperthyroidism (over active) and hypothyroidism (under active). The parathyroid glands, of which there are usually four, sit on the thyroid. They are tiny, about the size of a pea, and regulate blood calcium levels.
I was told hyperparathyroidism was rare but I think it is under diagnosed. It should be part of regular blood tests. They test the thyroid, so why not the parathyroid?
I was told i had had hyperparathyroidism for a long time. Undiagnosed and untreated it can cause serious problems and it does cause osteoporosis. If I had not had a diagnosis of breast cancer, I would not have known about the hyperparathyroidism, and I do not know what might have happened.
I do know that I had not lost any height so I do not know if I had osteoporosis already. What I do know is I lost height after I had finished my breast cancer treatment, so I think that treatment also played a role in the osteoporosis.
On my thread, Calling all triple negative breast cancer patients in the UK, I tell patients newly diagnosed to get a DEXA scan before and after treatment, so that they know how much their bones may have been affected by their treatment.
If you have high levels of calcium you might get a bone nuclide scan to see if the breast cancer has spread to the bones. If you have this, if I were you, I would ask for a parathyroid hormone level blood test (PTH) to see if you have parathyroid problems.
Hello vinrph, I am glad you found this thread. Let us keep it going, along with High calcium one in the other forum. I am going to post this in the other one as well and suggest we keep both going.
Best wishes to everyone.
Sylvia
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sylviaexmouthuk:
Just thought I would update you. I did have the scans last fall for my parathyroid, and thyroid. I did chemo from Oct-Dec. In January I had biopsies of my thyroid, since I had nodules per the scan. All biopsies were negative. My endrocronologist wants me to have my thyroid and parathyroid out. I talked to the a surgeon who does both thyroid and breast cancer surgery. She said there was no hurry to do the surgery. I had another lumpectomy on Feb 9, 2015, and that was clear. Then I had radiation, 16 treatments, 5 boosts. I had targeted radiation, I did not have any burns from the radiation, so that went well. I will probably have the thyroid/parathyroid surgery sometime in the fall. My calcium is up again slightly, 10.8, but the surgeon said that unless it goes to 13 or 14, surgery can wait. Thank goodness, because I need a break! Thanks so much for all of the information you posted.
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My experience with thyroid issues began at age 30 - I was diagnosed with Hashimotos disease and have been on synthroid since- up and down doses keeping it regulated- I am now 70
I was diagnosed with ILC in 2013- I had two lumpectomies, 6 rounds of chemo followed by 7 weeks of radiation. IA March as x-ray of my rt arm, discovered a nodule on my thyroid. I went for an ultra sound followed by a needle biopsy- 10 specimens were taken but there was no tissue, only blood- So now the endocrinologist wants me to see an ENT and have another biopsy-I told my primary that until I get some explanation about why I am doing these tests I won't be going for anymore.. I have an appointment with the endocrinologist in August to get some answers.
Re; The parathyroid, my husband was having back to back kidney stones- finally his urologist did a blood test that showed high calcium levels.. he followed the blood test with a US of the parathyroid which showed a (benign)tumor on the parathyroid- he had surgery to remove the parathyroid gland and that was the last of his kidney stone episodes.
On another note I have a brother who has two or three dates a month with kidney stones- he too has a benign tumor on his thyroid- but his urologist says it is not an issue, consequently nothing has been done. He continues to have his two or three episodes per month- makes one wonder?
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I was just reading on a uterine fibroid forum where a woman persisted in having her parathyroid investigated as a cause of her fibroids based on numerous symptoms that pointed that direction. She had a Parathyroidectomy and her fibroid went away.
She mentioned that taking more Vit D if your levels are low can be detrimental to blood calcium levels, that the low Vit D may instead be a protective mechanism to slow blood calcium. If you take more it might be pushing the wrong button.
Vitamin D3 and the P53 gene work together evidently. Also, PTH and PTHrP are implicated in mammary gland development, pregnancy, lactation, and metastasis, particularly of the bone. Tumors release parathyroid stimulating hormones/proteins, especially in metastatic patients.
Low magnesium levels will mimic parathyroid disease and affect levels in the body.
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Hello Agness,
I was very interested in your post that you submitted on September 30 2015. If you are still viewing please get in touch.
Best wishes,
Sylvia.
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Hello everyone,
It is about time we brought this important thread up to date. Please post if you have anything to say about breast cancer and parathyroid disease - an over active parathyroid gland which results in calcium leaching from the bones into the blood and some research shows this is possibly connected to breast cancer.
You might also want to look at the thread High Calcium Blood Levels in the forum Not Diagnosed with a Recurrence or Mets but Concerned.
Best wishes
Sylvia
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I had a thyroid ultrasound and biopsy done yesterday plus I diagnosed with cancer on the right breast October the 13th with invasive ductal Carcinoma , moderately differentiated, Ductal Carcinoma in SITI.. so do you think they think I might have thyroid cancer also?
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@HapB -- yes, I am being treated for ILC and have been researching this on my own behalf, since stumbling onto this thread a few months ago.
The best informationI have received comes from www.parathyroid.com
Even though I was still in chemo, I filled out their form and began the process to discern if I was affected because my blood calcium levels had been high since my first bloodwork in January and have continued to be high ever since with almost all over 10.4.
As a word of caution, my MO didn't think my calcium levels were high enough to warrant investigation and then since my PTH test showed me within normal range (63.7) which is at the very top of the normal limit was doubly sure that I had no problems.
The Norman Group specializes in this disease and warn not to be NOT concerned (see above website.) They have a widely different opinion. They say that no adult should have blood calcium levels over the 9 range and my 10.8 levels should have shut down my parathyroid so that my PTH levels should have been much lower. Those two numbers in combination indicate a tumor on at least one of the four glands.
I have 10 more RAD treatments and then I will need to get my MO approval for the procedure to be done. I also need more bloodwork as the PTH and calcium levels need to be done ON THE VERY SAME DAY to be accurate. I intend to do this soon as I can. I am suffering many of the symptoms
Go to the website, it is one of the best I have ever seen. There is a plethora of info and it is easily understood. Let me know what you think.
At the beginning of my convo with the Dr last week he asked me what triggered my questions about the disease and I told him a thread on this website and he was very interested to hear that. It would be nice if doctors participated in the site but I do understand that I would consume just way too much of their time.
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mmbNaplesFL- thank you for the site. That is very informative! My calcium dosn't seem to bad I guess...but it is still high at 10.4. What made me start looking though is my PTH came back at 150, when the normal range is is half that. My new general practiioner is trying to tell my symtoms are most likly sleep apnea and that though I test postive for hyperparathyroidism....it doesn't cause any sysmtoms. WHAT!?!?!
I am trying to find a specilist at this point. Like the doctor....but that is not going to work for me.
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I have not been diagnosed with breast cancer (am having biopsies for probably papillomas) but I had hyperparathyroidism. I went to the Norman Parathyroid clinic and had a large parathyroid adenoma removed, along with a pretty large thyroid nodule.
GreenEyes81 - you are clearly hyperparathyroid with that calcium and PTH level! Don't let your doctor blow it off, it causes all kinds of symptoms and damage to the body. I had bad depression, anxiety, lost body hair, memory loss, developed osteopenia, and severe fatigue. Find a doctor who listens. I couldn't find one where I live, which is why I went to Tampa. My endocrinologist here still acts like I diagnosed myself on the internet and might have just needed more vitamin D3 (eye roll). He dutifully checks my calcium, pth and vitamin d3 levels now though and they are all well within normal ranges. What do you know?
I have since found out I'm CHEK2 positive and wonder about any possible link there, so it's interesting to hear about any links among all these things.
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Thank you triscuit. I feel like people think I am over reacting on everything due to the cancer. I am really trying not to be a hypochondriac.
I went to my obgyn in July cause I just didn't feel good. One thing turned to another and I had cancer, now I'm "done", for what ever that means. But I still feel like crap, only its like the symtoms are just magnified. The more I read about this, the more I think about it...I realize it has been a really really long time I have felt like this. And to think, there is a simple way to fix it! lol
I am trying to get in with a specilist 6 hours away that happens to be an oncolgyst as well, not that I think its cancer but figure he will have a better understanding and what to look for with my bc history. He's having me send all my bloodwork so he can review next week. Crossing my fingers he will take me!
My new general practioner thinks its sleep apnea....I don't know. Maybe that is some of it....but it really seems like if my thyroid is fixed "sleep apnea" symtoms would go away.
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Hello everyone,
I have just been reading the recent posts after deciding to check out this thread that sam52 started and in which I participated quite a lot. You can see my story and sam52's on the preceding pages. I have been busy with the triple negative breast cancer thread I started in 2010 but I suddenly decided to check out this thread and the High Calcium thread. I thought that they had probably stopped being used. I was very pleased to see that there were posts in 2017. I am going to look regularly now because I am convinced of the connection between hyperparathyroidism and breast cancer. I think problems with the parathyroid are under diagnosed, despite the problems they cause and the possible connection with breast cancer and the untold problems it causes. With these two we end up with osteoporosis, which is no walk in the park.
I look forward to hearing what you have to say.
Fond thoughts to everybody.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hi Sylvia, thanks for checking in. To my understanding there is no question that breast cancer and parathyroid issues are related. This is a great site with TONS of information---not sure I like the egotistical attitudes of the doctors....but the information in amazing.
http://www.parathyroid.com/causes.htm #4 specifically speaks on prior radiation from other cancers
https://breast-cancer-research.biomedcentral.com/a... It discusses that PTH promotes matastic bone cancers.
Hope that helps! I am waiting for a call to get my surgery scheduled as a ultrasound confirmed an adnoma a couple weeks ago. Excited to feel normal soon!
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Very interesting. I had steadily rising PTH and Calcium for a couple years until they finally decided that two of the parathyroids needed to come out in 2013. I was diagnosed with BC in 2015. My tumor was about the size of a cherry, so obviously it had been there a few years. I believe it wasn't caught as early as it could have been due to its location high in my breast, almost under my arm. Thankfully, my DEXA scans have been perfect.
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Hi Triscuit, canadian male here who has been battling hyperparathyroid disease for last 4 years. Severe joint pain, high estrogen (e2), high PTH, high normal calcium, low vitamin D, dizziness, and nausea are just some of my serum labs and symptoms. Local GP has been no help. I have seen two endocrinologists and currently am seeing an internist. They have all worked me up as a thyroid patient ( yearly U/S has suggested thyroid nodule) but after a negative sestamibi late washout scan I demanded a MRI. Finally after four years it has been confirmed as parathyroid adenoma. It is as big as an olive or cherry as someone has suggested size wise and is compressive around the trachea. I received an email about a year ago from family members who were diagnosed with having the chek2 mutation - that’s why I am responding to you. I have referral to geneticists next week but in my mind and after reading all this i believe i have an answer already. This forum has been very informative. BTW I am medical professional as well Best of luck
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Canuck76 - very interesting about your family CHEK2 results and a possible connection to your hyperparathyroidism. Do you have surgery scheduled for your adenoma? I saw a genetic counselor a couple of weeks ago and she noted the parathyroid adenoma with some interest but had no information about any connection.
GreenEyes81 - regarding this link you posted : https://breast-cancer-research.biomedcentral.com/a... It discusses that PTH promotes matastic bone cancers.
I think there is a difference between serum PTH levels and PHTrP (parathyroid hormone related protein/peptide). I haven't read enough to understand it, but it seems to be suggesting something different than the raised PTH levels due to primary hyperthyroidism being related to metastatic cancer. Just some caution in interpreting. Not to say though there is not a link between hyperparathyroidism and breast cancer or other malignancies though, because there is some literature suggesting that.
I found this article, which I think is interesting:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ijc.201... "In this largest study to date, we found a significant association between primary hyperparathyroidism and subsequent incidence of breast cancer. Although the mechanisms underlying the coexistence of the two disorders remain speculative, a shared etiology is likely. Future studies may target the role of serum calcium and the association between hypercalcemia and mammographic density as well as possible gene-environmental interactions in the etiology of hyperparathyroidism and breast cancer."
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Canuck76, thanks for sharing your experience here as well!
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Canuck76, hope you are able to get some releif soon. In all seriousness, if the next do does not get you scheduled for surgery, go to a new doctor. Don't keep going back, you will not get well until the tumor is removed. I had mine out the end of December, I felt better over night. Things I did not even realize was related are gone now.
My primary doctor also said it was nothing to worry about...
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hi again- no surgery date yet but it’s finally on paper so things will have to be addressed finally by the medical establishment here in canada. I have looked in to possible surgery in the states. I hope to have some new information in the next few weeks. Thanks for all the responses-I am very impressed with the knowledge of all the posters
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Hi all, Haven't been here in a while. I am over 12 years out from my breast cancer diagnosis. I was just diagnosed with hyperparathyroidism after my routine bloodwork showed mildly elevated calcium of 10.7, followed by a recheck of my calcium and PTH, with results of 10.4 calcium and 124 PTH (high). Looking back at my blood-work I have had calcium levels in the low 10's since 2011 so I have probably had this for a while. My endo treating my osteoporosis picked up on the elevated calcium and order the PTH. We always thought my osteoporosis was caused by 10 years of Femara but looks like I may have had a double whammy on my bones. My endo is doing 24 hour urine check and and checking phosphorus to make my case for me for parathyroid surgery, which is sometimes hard to get because they like to play wait and watch. I'll keep you posted.
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Update: My endo did refer me to an endocrine surgeon at Hopkins. I am scheduled for an ultrasound and sestimibi scan prior to my appt. I am a little worried about the scan. I hate them - am always worried they will find something that will send me down another rabbit hole. Has anyone had the sestimibi scan?
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Hello LizM,
As promised, I have come back to the thread about hyperparathyroidism and breast cancer and I am reading your recent posts.
I see that we were diagnosed with breast cancer the same year, 2005, you in September and me in June.
I was diagnosed by accident at the same time as my breast cancer, because my oncologist was concerned about high calcium levels in the blood, which can be a sign of spread to the bones. She carried out a parathyroid hormone blood test and this was high. Fortunately, my breast cancer surgeon was also the endocrinologist, confirmed hyperparathyroidism but said it would be dealt with after I had finished my cancer treatment. I think they then forgot about it and I reminded them in 2009 about it and the endocrinologist began dealing with it. I had the Sestimibi scan and had the surgery some time in 2009. I had the full surgery because my endocrinologist was also my breast cancer surgeon and said she did not the minimal invasive surgery. She liked to have a look around at the others. She had told me I had a large adenoma on the lower right parathyroid gland. That was interesting to me because my breast cancer was on the right breast. She told me that these adenomas were usually benign. I had the surgery one day and was allowed home the next after being tested for calcium serum levels and parathyroid hormone levels. Everything had normalised.
Sam52 had her treatment at more or less the same time at a hospital in Oxford, had the minimal invasive and was fine. We kept in touch for a long time but she disappeared off the threads. I am going to try to trace her as I know she will be thrilled to know that the thread she created is again active. It comes and goes, so we have to keep bumping it up.
My endocrinologist/breast cancer surgeon told me that the parathyroid problem had been there long before the breast cancer. I am convinced the two are connected. Strangely enough, I do not think I had any problems with osteoporosis until after I had gone through breast cancer treatment and I think this affected my bones more severely. I cannot be sure, because I had not been given any DEXA scans for bone density. I did not have one before my cancer treatment, but I definitely had one before and after my parathyroid treatment and I was diagnosed with osteoporosis.
I think cancer treatment and especially the aromatase inhibitors affect the bones. I was TNBC so I did not go through the ordeal of tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitor drugs. I think that all women should ask for a DEXA scan before and after their breast cancer treatment. I also think that a parathyroid blood test should be as routine as a thyroid blood test. I have read that thyroid problems might also be implicated in osteoporosis.
It is more than likely that you did have a double whammy on your bones with 10 years of Femara and hyperparathyroidism.
If I were you I would push for surgery to remove whatever adenomas are on your parathyroid glands. The one I had on the lower right gland was quite large. I think hyperparathyroidism is not as rare as my GP told me it was. It was just under-diagnosed.
Hyperparathyroidism is very serious and can have dire consequences.
I am always busy with my TNBC thread but I shall make sure now that I keep in touch here. You might want to check out the High calcium thread in the forum Not diagnosed with mets but concerned. I think that is the accurate title.
I see from the thread that there is some more interesting information here so bear with me while I catch up.
Best wishes to all.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Canuck76, Greeneyes81, Triscuit and mustlovepoodles,
I just wanted to say hello and that I have been reading your posts with great interest and see that more information has come through about the connection between hyperparathyroidism and breast cancer.
I want to go through your posts, read them more carefully and try the links. It seems so important to get this all out in the open. I have a question: have you had any more blood tests, those of you who have had surgery, to see whether your PTH levels and serum calcium levels are still normal? I was told after surgery that I was 'cured' with the removal of the one in question, but there are four altogether. I was told I did not need any more blood tests.
I remember my endocrinologist telling me that the symptoms were moans, bones and groans!
Any information would be welcome.
More later.
Best wishes.
Sylvia xx
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Hello everyone,
The correct forum is Not diagnosed with a recurrence or metastases but concerned. The thread is High calcium.
https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/105/topic...
Thank you.
Sylvia xx
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I had blood work a month after surgery, everything was normal. My PTH was a bit higher than it was at the time of sugary, but was still within normal. Before surgery I had PTH of 299. I felt different the day after surgery. I had symtoms go away that I did not realize were even related.
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