TY - JOUR
T1 - Parathyroid hormone-related protein and hypercalcemia in patients with metastatic melanoma
T2 - Case report and review
AU - Attia, Peter
AU - Phan, Giao Q.
AU - Duray, Paul H.
AU - Rosenberg, Steven A.
PY - 2003/2
Y1 - 2003/2
N2 - Hypercalcemia associated with malignancy has been attributed to osteolytic processes secondary to bony metastases and to humoral factors causing increased bone resorption and decreased renal excretion of calcium. Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTH-rP) is a humoral factor that has been associated with hypercalcemia in renal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and bladder carcinoma. Hypercalcemia does occur in patients with melanoma; however, few studies have reported on hypercalcemia in these patients, and even fewer have described a direct connection to PTH-rP. We here report a patient with stage IV malignant melanoma presenting with severe hypercalcemia associated with elevated PTH-rP levels. Immunohistochemistry showed strong expression of PTH-rP in biopsy of the patient's subcutaneous masses. In addition, we found a 4.9% incidence of hypercalcemia in 1,146 consecutive patients treated for metastatic melanoma at the Surgery Branch of the National Cancer Institute between January 1, 1988 and March 31, 2000. Thus, PTH-rP may play a significant role in severe hypercalcemia in patients with metastatic melanoma. The discovery of PTH-rP and relevant literature will also be reviewed.
AB - Hypercalcemia associated with malignancy has been attributed to osteolytic processes secondary to bony metastases and to humoral factors causing increased bone resorption and decreased renal excretion of calcium. Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTH-rP) is a humoral factor that has been associated with hypercalcemia in renal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and bladder carcinoma. Hypercalcemia does occur in patients with melanoma; however, few studies have reported on hypercalcemia in these patients, and even fewer have described a direct connection to PTH-rP. We here report a patient with stage IV malignant melanoma presenting with severe hypercalcemia associated with elevated PTH-rP levels. Immunohistochemistry showed strong expression of PTH-rP in biopsy of the patient's subcutaneous masses. In addition, we found a 4.9% incidence of hypercalcemia in 1,146 consecutive patients treated for metastatic melanoma at the Surgery Branch of the National Cancer Institute between January 1, 1988 and March 31, 2000. Thus, PTH-rP may play a significant role in severe hypercalcemia in patients with metastatic melanoma. The discovery of PTH-rP and relevant literature will also be reviewed.
KW - Hypercalcemia
KW - Metastatic melanoma
KW - PTH-rP
KW - Parathyroid hormone-related protein
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0037319172&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0037319172&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/00000421-200302000-00009
DO - 10.1097/00000421-200302000-00009
M3 - Article
C2 - 12576923
AN - SCOPUS:0037319172
SN - 0277-3732
VL - 26
SP - 42
EP - 45
JO - American Journal of Clinical Oncology: Cancer Clinical Trials
JF - American Journal of Clinical Oncology: Cancer Clinical Trials
IS - 1
ER -