The hypercalcemia of malignancy: pathogenesis and management

The number of agents and treatment regimens which can be used in the medical treatment of hypercalcemia has increased markedly over the last 5 yr. As this list has increased, clinicians are anxious to know more about the humoral and cellular mechanisms which are responsible for the hypercalcemia of malignancy and to understand how these drugs work. Unfortunately there is no treatment available presently which is uniformally safe and effective, and the potential pathogenetic mechanisms responsible for hypercalcemia are hotly debated. In this review, we plan to summarize current views of the pathogenesis, clinical features and treatment of hypercalcemia associated with malignant disease.