peplomycin and Hypercalcemia

Squamous cell carcinoma with hypercalcemia and leukocytosis arising from burn scars in a 45-year-old man is reported. Hypercalcemia and leukocytosis improved with pepleomycin treatment and worsened with recurrence of the tumor. Serum levels of parathyroid hormone, prostaglandin E and 25-OH-Vitamin D were within normal limits. Autopsy did not disclose any bone metastases or abnormalities of the parathyroid glands. It is suggested that hypercalcemia and leukocytosis were due to factors produced by the squamous cell carcinoma. This is the fifth reported case of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma associated with hypercalcemia in the absence of bone metastasis or parathyroid gland abnormalities.

Topics: Bleomycin; Burns; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Cicatrix; Humans; Hypercalcemia; Leukocytosis; Male; Middle Aged; Peplomycin; Skin Neoplasms

A 60-year-old man with adult T cell leukemia had been suffering from intractable hypercalcemia resistant to saline hydration, intravenous administration of furosemide, elcatonin, prednisolone and phosphate, and also hemodialysis. Since there was one report suggesting that bleomycin could act as an anticalcemic agent, peplomycin, a new derivative of blerivative of bleomycin, was given at a dose of 10 mg/day by continuous intravenous infusion for 3 days and rapid normalization of serum calcium and creatinine levels resulted. The mechanism of this antihypercalcemic effect is not clear, but peplomycin directly inhibit bone resorption.

Topics: Bleomycin; Deltaretrovirus; Humans; Hypercalcemia; Leukemia; Male; Middle Aged; Peplomycin; Retroviridae Infections; T-Lymphocytes