Tumor-associated hypercalcemia is a common and important clinical problem. Two major pathogenic mechanisms appear to be operative in this disorder:local osteolytic hypercalcemia and humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy. We experienced 20 cases of tumor...
Tumor-associated hypercalcemia is a common and important clinical problem. Two major pathogenic mechanisms appear to be operative in this disorder:local osteolytic hypercalcemia and humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy. We experienced 20 cases of tumor-associated hypercalcemia from January 1987 to september 1989 and reviewed their clinical findings. The results were as follows;
1) The age ranged from 30 to 79 years with mean age of 57.5 and a male predominance was observed(M:F=3:1).
2. The frequent primary sites of tumor were lung(35%), kidney(20%), esophagus(10%), breast(10%), cervix(10%) and the pathologic findings were squamous cell carcinomas(50%) and renal cell carcinoma(20%).
3) Out of 20 cases, 18 were stage Ⅳ and 2 were Ⅲ. Bone metastasis was observed in 11 cases(55%) and out of 10 cases of squamous cell cancer, only 3 cases showed bone metastasis.
4) The most frequent earliest symptoms were anorexia(90%), constipation(50%), nausea/vomiting(40%) and abdominal pain(35%), and neurologic symptoms as muscle weakness, lethargy, confusion and coma were developed also.
5) Common laboratory findings were moderate to severe hypercalcemia(90%), normal phosphours level(80%), alkaline phosphatase elevation(50%), with 3 liver metastasis, 2 osteoblastic bone metastasis and 5 mixed bone metastasis.
6) On ECG, shortened QTc interval was noted in 35%.
7) Saline diuresis was initial therapy in all 20 cases, steroid was given concomitantly in 5 of them, calcitonin with oral phosphate were given concomitantly in 3 of them and mithramycin was given in only 1 case.
8) 14 cases were died and others were survived more than 6 months.
The results suggest that squamous cell carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma, breast cancer and multiple myeloma are relatively common causes of malignancy associated hypercalcemia and hypercalcemia generally represents a late complication in the course of neoplasia as extensive tumor burden.