title: [Two cases of malignancy-associated hypercalcemia from bone metastases of breast cancer successfully treated with combination therapy using pamidronate and calcitonin].
abstract: Two patients with malignancy-associated hypercalcemia from bone metastases of breast cancer, accompanied by consciousness disturbance, were treated by a combination therapy of pamidronate and salmon calcitonin. The cause of the hypercalcemia in both cases was thought to be expanded bone metastases, which induced a local osteolytic hypercalcemia (LOH). In the end, this regimen could not control the growth of the metastatic tumor, but it produced a more rapid and prolonged decrease in serum calcium level than a single agent, and resulted in lessened consciousness disturbance without adverse effects. Hypercalcemia is a life-threatening paraneoplastic syndrome which requires urgent medical treatment, since malignant hypercalcemia progresses very rapidly and induces several severe complications. In conclusion, this combination therapy was extremely effective for consciousness disturbance accompanying hypercalcemia due to widespread bone metastases of cancer.
authors.affiliation: 3rd Dept. of Surgery, Tokyo Medical University.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kusama
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaise
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ota
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Koyanagi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsunaga
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000556:secondary*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology*; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003244:Consciousness Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006934:Hypercalcemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077268:Pamidronate
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004164:Diphosphonates; D002116:Calcitonin; D000077268:Pamidronate