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Hypercalcemia, a Complication of Hormone Therapy of Advanced Breast Cancer^{* , ,}

B. J. Kennedy, Dorothy M. Tibbetts, Ira T. Nathanson and Joseph C. Aub

( Medical Laboratories of the Collis P. Huntington Memorial Hospital of Harvard University and the Tumor Clinic at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, and the Pondville Hospital [Massachusetts Department of Public Health], Walpole, Mass.)

1. Hypercalcemia is a potential serious complication during androgenic and estrogenic hormone therapy of patients with advanced breast cancer and obvious osseous metastases.

2. Eleven cases of hypercalcemia occurring during steroid hormone administration are presented.

3. Metabolic studies of patients with "induced hypercalcemia" demonstrated an elevated serum calcium, hypercalcuria, altered serum and urinary phosphorus levels and occasionally renal insufficiency.

4. Immobilization, possiblc acceleration of tumor growth, and removal of barriers to the spread of cancer cells may contribute to the development of the hypercalcemia. The resemblance to the metabolic effects of parathyroid hormone is described in one case.

5. The detection and management of hypercalcemia are an essential part of steroid hormone therapy of advanced breast cancer.

^* This work was aided in part by an Institutional Grant from the American Cancer Society and in part by the Damon Runyon Memorial Fund to the Massachusetts General Hospital for Tumor Studies.

The testosterone propionate was generously supplied by the Ciba Pharmaceutical Products, Inc. (Perandren) and the Schering Corporation (Oreton).

This is publication No. 784 of the Cancer Commission of Harvard University and No. 162 of the Pondville Hospital.

Formerly Public Health Service Research Fellow of the National Cancer Institute and Clinical Research Fellow of Harvard University at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

Received 1/ 6/53.