Treatment of refractory cancer-associated hypercalcemia with aminohydroxypropylidene diphosphonate

The case history is presented of a 45-year-old woman who was receiving chemotherapy for a pulmonary adenocarcinoma and who developed severe symptomatic hypercalcemia. Despite intensive treatment with fluids, loop diuretics, prednisone, calcitonin and repeated doses of mithramycin, she remained hypercalcemic. She was then treated with aminohydroxypropylidene diphosphonate (APD) with consequent rapid normalization of the serum calcium and disappearance of symptoms. We conclude that APD is a valuable supplement to the treatment of malignant hypercalcemia in that it may be effective when traditional therapies have failed.