title: [Clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of malignancy-associated hypercalcemia in squamous cell carcinoma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of patients diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and presented malignancy-associated hypercalcemia (MAH).
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 36 patients with biopsy-proven SCC and presented MAH who were treated at the our department from January 2001 to December 2010. The survival were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among these 36 patients, the median blood calcium level was 2.94 mmol/L (2.77-4.87 mmol/L), and the median survival time was only 45 days (1-839 d). Log-rank test showed that central nervous system symptoms, bone metastasis, and hypercalcemia occurring over 160 days after cancer diagnosis were predictors for poor survival(p=0.003, P=0.049, P=0.005). In the COX proportional hazard model analysis, central nervous system symptoms and hypercalcemia occurring over 160 days after cancer diagnosis were independent prognostic factors for survival time (RR=5.721, P=0.000; RR=4.624, P=0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and presented MAH have poor prognosis. Central nervous system symptoms and hypercalcemia occurring over 160 days after cancer diagnosis are independent predictors of the prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, General Hospital of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Su-jie
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Shun-chang
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.forename: Zhe-feng
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hai-tao
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Tao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006934:Hypercalcemia / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies