Incidence of hypophosphatemia in advanced cancer patients: a recent report from a single institution.
BACKGROUND
Recent approval of molecular-targeted agents has contributed to improving the therapeutic outcomes of advanced cancer patients. However, they result in unusual adverse events that rarely occur with cytotoxic agents, such as hypertension, hypomagnesemia, and an acne-like rash. Although hypophosphatemia can be induced by various agents, some kinds of molecular-targeted agents are known to induce it. In addition, cancer survivors may be at a risk of hypophosphatemia.


METHODS
One hundred and seventy patients, who visited the Department of Clinical Oncology at Akita University from 1 April 2014 to 31 August 2016 were enrolled in this study after providing informed consent. Serum inorganic phosphorus levels were examined along with other routine clinical examinations. Correlation between the serum inorganic phosphorus level and other clinical data were also analyzed.


RESULTS
Grade ≥2 severe hypophosphatemia (<2.5 mg/dL of phosphorus) was detected in 49.4% of patients, and grade ≥3 (<2.0 mg/dL of phosphorus) was observed in 22.9% patients. These results indicated that the presence of bone metastasis (p < 0.001), history of bone-modifying agents (p < 0.001) and molecular-targeted drugs (p = 0.001), and time from the date of the first visit to the date of minimum serum phosphorus level (p < 0.001) might correlate with hypophosphatemia. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that disease duration might be a risk factor (p = 0.0466).


CONCLUSIONS
As hypophosphatemia can be induced by various factors in advanced cancer patients, the serum phosphorus level of cancer patients at risk should be cautiously examined.
Department of Clinical Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Akita University, Akita, Japan.
Taichi
T
Yoshida
Department of Clinical Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Akita University, Akita, Japan.
Daiki
D
Taguchi
Department of Clinical Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Akita University, Akita, Japan.
Koji
K
Fukuda
Department of Clinical Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Akita University, Akita, Japan.
Kazuhiro
K
Shimazu
Department of Clinical Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Akita University, Akita, Japan.
Masahiro
M
Inoue
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Akita University, Akita, Japan.
Katsunori
K
Murata
Department of Clinical Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Akita University, Akita, Japan. hiroyuki@med.akita-u.ac.jp.
Hiroyuki
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3581-3506
H
Shibata
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017674:Hypophosphatemia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000032:analysis*; D055815:Young Adult
D010758:Phosphorus
Chemotherapy; Hypophosphatemia; Molecular-targeted agents