Prostaglandin-mediated hypercalcemia: a paraneoplastic syndrome.

Evidence has been presented for prostaglandin-mediated hypercalcemia and bone resorption in malignancies of both, experimental animals and man. Occurence of hypercalcemia in cancer patients is known for a long time, but its pathogenesis has been poorly understood so far. Besides ectopic parathyroid hormone secretion by tumors, an osteoclast-activating factor released from leukocytes and direct bone destruction by tumor cells, prostaglandins of the E series have to be considered as one of the candicates involved in the pathomechanism of hypercalcemia and osteoclastic osteolysis in cancer patients. This new concept on the pathophysiology of cancer-associated hypercalcemia has implications for the diagnosis and management of this common complication of neoplastic disease.