Hypercalcemia and Elevated Serum PTH-RP Level in a Case with Squamous Cell Lung Cancer

We describe a 72-year-old man diagnosed as having squamous cell lung cancer. He was admitted to our hospital with a complaint of proxymal muscle weakness. The muscle weakness was diagnosed as a paraneoplastic syndrome and caused by hypercalcemia since the level of serum C-PTH-RP was elevated (695 pmol/l). Because of cardiorenal dysfunction, he received supportive care alone. Although fluid transfusion, diuretics, and calcitonin against hypercalcemia were not effective, pamidronate, was effective for the control of hypercalcemia. The administration of pamidronate resulted in normalization of serum calcium level. Hypercalcemia was continuously controlled after he was discharged from the hospital. However he died of lung cancer three months later.