Calcitonin in the treatment of intractable pain from advanced malignancy

Clinical details are given of 8 patients who complained of severe pain from metastatic bone disease or from multiple myeloma. Four of the patients were included in a double-blind pilot trial designed to compare the effectiveness of salmon calcitonin (200 i.u. intramuscularly) and placebo given twice daily for 4 days. Two of these patients experienced pain relief and were found to have been given salmon calcitonin; the other 2 had no pain relief and had been given placebo. The other 4 of the 8 patients were treated with salmon calcitonin and also had relief of their pain. It would appear, therefore, that salmon calcitonin may be dramatically effective in the treatment of intractable pain from advanced malignancy and its use warrants further study.