Newer agents for the treatment of malignant hypercalcemia.

The treatment of malignant hypercalcemia has involved fluids, diuretics, and specific calcium-lowering therapy with mithramycin and calcitonin. However, newer agents have recently been approved for the treatment of hypercalcemia due to malignancy. This review will discuss three such agents, gallium, etidronate, and pamidronate. This review will concentrate on the clinical pharmacologic characteristics and the clinical trials of these newer agents. Their use in the clinical practice will be suggested based on review of the published literature.