Pamidronate for Cancer-Associated Hypercalcemia

Abstract

The article by Gucalp and colleagues, 1 comparing rapid and slow intravenous infusion regimens of pamidronate in the treatment of malignancy-associated hypercalcemia, was interesting and informative. In this context, I would like to draw the authors' attention to some further data concerning this subject. The authors took into account several laboratory parameters in the randomized groups of patients receiving either a 4- or 24-hour infusion of 60 mg of pamidronate. Two other parameters have, however, also been shown to affect the response of tumor-induced hypercalcemia to pamidronate. Gurney and associates 2 showed that the concentration of parathyroid hormone-related protein is an important predictor of this response. An undetectable level of parathyroid hormone-related protein (