[Bone turnover markers in tumor pathology with bone involvement].

We evaluated the serum osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase levels and the urinary hydroxyproline excretion in patients with blastic, lithic or mixed metastases, humoral malignant hypercalcemia (HMH) and myeloma. In patients with metastasis of any type osteocalcin did not reach a significant increase although in blastic metastases an increase approaching signification was observed. However, the sensitivities of alkaline phosphatase or hydroxyproline were much higher. In HMH hydroxyproline increased to levels similar to those found in primary hyperparathyroidism. By contrast, although osteocalcin had a significant increase, its values were much lower than in parathyroid disease. The changes in alkaline phosphatase were nonevaluable. In myeloma none of the three markers changed. The major conclusion of the present study is that osteocalcin has little practical usefulness for the investigation of neoplastic patients.