[Treatment of tumor hypercalcemia with clodronate. Effect on parathormone and calcitriol]

Clodronate (dichlormethylene diphosphonate) was administered to 21 patients with hypercalcemia due to malignant tumor. The drug was initially given intravenously, then orally. In 20 patients the serum calcium level had been reduced to the normal range within one week of the start of treatment (from 3.3 +/- 0.5 mmol/l to 2.4 +/- 0.3 mmol/l). With oral administration there was a renewed rise in calcium levels in some patients, which had to be treated with higher oral doses or intravenous administration. Parallel with the reduction in calcium levels there was an improvement in the originally impaired renal function. The serum level of intact parathormone(1-84) and 1.25-dihydroxy-vitamin-D3 (calcitriol) rose significantly from usually lowered initial levels. There was a non-linear inverse correlation between parathormone and calcium. No side effects were noted, even after long-term administration.