Calcitonin and diphosphonate in the treatment of Paget's disease of bone.

The ideal treatment for Paget's disease of bone should control turnover irrespective of its initial activity and produce a sustained remission once treatment is withdrawn. Unfortunately, neither the calcitonins nor the diphosphonates currently available entirely fulfil these requirements. Preliminary studies suggest that combinations of calcitonin and EHDP produce significantly better responses than those of the individual agents alone. This proposition is examined critically in terms of the optimum effects achieved with calcitonin and EHDP alone paying particular attention to variables such as disease activity, dose and duration of treatment.