A remarkable improvement of clinical manifestations in a breast cancer patient with widespread bone metastases after administration of pamidronate

Abstract

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 hypercalcemia, widespread bone metastases and severe disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). We treated her conservatively with pamidronate and gabexate mesilate, because the patient had refused any anti-cancer chemotherapy. She showed marked improvement in performance status, hypercalcemia, DIC and tumor markers, whereas splenomegaly due to metastasis progressed. These results suggest that pamidronate has the potential to suppress metastatic tumor growth selectively in bone.