Hypercalcemia in small cell carcinoma of the pancreas

Abstract

Although small cell carcinoma of the lung has a high incidence of skeletal metastasis and is frequently associated with paraneoplastic syndromes, it is only rarely associated with hypercalcemia. Similarly, the more unusual small cell carcinoma of the pancreas has not been associated with hypercalcemia. The authors describe the first such patient with small cell carcinoma of the pancreas and hypercalcemia. Comprehensive metabolic measurements (fasting calcium excretion, renal phosphorus threshold, 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D, 25 hydroxyvitamin D levels, nephrogenous cyclic AMP and immunoreactive PTH levels) suggest that although bone metastases were present, the hypercalcemia may have been caused in part by humoral mechanisms.