A REMARKABLE IMPROVEMENT OF CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS IN A BREAST-CANCER PATIENT WITH WIDESPREAD BONE METASTASES AFTER ADMINISTRATION OF PAMIDRONATE

A breast cancer patient with bone metastases showed a marked response to treatment with a bisphosphonate, an inhibitor of osteoclastic bone resorption. The patient was admitted to our hospital with hypercalcemi a, widespread bone metastases and severe disseminated intravascular co agulation (DIC). We treated her conservatively with pamidronate and ga bexate mesilate, because the patient had refused any anti-cancer chemo therapy. She showed marked improvement in performance status, hypercal cemia, DIC and tumor markers, whereas splenomegaly due to metastasis p rogressed. These results suggest that pamidronate has the potential to suppress metastatic tumor growth selectively in bone.