I recently had a blood test showing low potassium levels and I’m worried about what it could mean. Is low potassium a sign of cancer, or are there other conditions that could cause this?
Low potassium levels (hypokalemia) can be a sign or complication of certain types of cancer. Patients with breast, stomach, kidney, pancreatic, thyroid, prostate cancer, and others have a high risk of electrolyte imbalances like hypokalemia due to the cancer itself or as a side effect of cancer treatment.
Many cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs and novel targeted cancer therapy agents have been found to induce hypokalemia in patients. Additionally, in small cell lung cancer (SCLC), one of the important causes of low potassium levels is adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-secreting tumors.
For cancer patients, it is very important to monitor electrolyte levels like potassium during treatment in order to detect and manage possible imbalances.
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