Hyponatremia in the cancer patient.
Hyponatremia is a common electrolyte disorder observed in a wide variety of malignancies and is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Newer cancer therapies have improved patient outcomes while also contributing to new cases of hyponatremia. Patients should be monitored closely for the development of vasopressin and non-vasopressin mediated hyponatremia. Acute and symptomatic forms of hyponatremia require urgent intervention, and recent findings also support the correction of chronic "asymptomatic" hyponatremia. Optimizing hyponatremia may reduce medical costs, improve cancer survival, and quality of life. In this manuscript, we review the epidemiology, pathophysiology, etiology, diagnosis and treatment of hyponatremia in the cancer patient.
School of Medicine