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The effects of calcitonin in hypercalcemia in patients with malignancy
Author(s) -
Vaughn Clarence B.,
Vaitkevicius Vainutis K.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197410)34:4<1268::aid-cncr2820340437>3.0.co;2-x
Subject(s) - calcitonin , medicine , calcium , malignancy , adverse effect , endocrinology , drug , gastroenterology , pharmacology
Porcine calcitonin (PC) is a potent serum calcium lowering agent in human subjects with hypercalcemia. Hypercalcemia in patients with neoplasia was temporarily corrected with these agents until more definitive measures were instituted to control their neoplastic disease. Of the 10 hypercalcemic patients administered calcitonin I.M. every 4–6 hours or as a 24‐hour I.V. infusion, 9 who were treated with PC experienced depressed serum calcium levels. The average change in serum calcium was –2.9 mg/100 ml. The dose range of calcitonin, 2–8 Medical Research Council Units (MRUC)/kg disclosed no adverse systemic or hypersensitive reactions to the drug. This study further confirmed that calcitonin affects both kidney and bone. These findings suggest that calcitonin has great potential as an effective therapeutic agent in the treatment of hypercalcemia.