Metastatic carcinoma of penis complicated by hypercalcemia

A fifty-three-year-old man with epidermoid carcinoma of the penis metastatic to the right inguinal lymph nodes and adjacent areas was found to have persistent hypercalcemia. Associated with this biochemical abnormality was an elevated parathormone activity in the absence of any bony metastases. Other than a transient response to furosemide-inducded diuresis he was refractory to treatment with oral inorganic phosphates and mithramycin. Ablation of the primary tumor did not affect his hypercalcemia. However, when therapy using external irradiation and parenteral bleomycin was directed to the metastases, his serum calcium stabilized and became normal and remained so until further progression of his humor. We postulate that the penile cancer metastases were elaborating parathyroid hormone-like substances responsible for the hypercalcemia and suppression of normal parathyroid activity.