Successful combination chemotherapy for metastatic parathyroid carcinoma

A 54-year-old patient with metastatic parathyroid carcinoma and severe hypercalcemia refractory to conventional treatment was treated with chemotherapy consisting of fluorouracil, 500 mg/sq m intravenously (IV) daily for four days (24-hour infusion), cyclophosphamide, 500 mg/sq m IV daily for four days, and dacarbazine (imidazole carboxamide), 200 mg/sq m IV daily for four days. Complete objective and partial biochemical responses were noted, with the response duration being 5.0 + months. The toxic reaction was moderate and predominantly gastrointestinal.