Hypercalcemia in prostatic carcinoma. Report of eight cases.

Hypercalcemia is a rare complication of disseminated carcinoma of the prostate. To our knowledge, only three such patients have had their cases previously reported in the English language literature. Eight patients with prostatic cancer and hypercalcemia were seen at Montefiore Hospital and Medical Center, Bronx, NY, within the last six years. In six of the patients, the prostatic carcinoma exhibited unusual histologic patterns.

A comparative trial of moxalactam plus ticarcillin and clavulanic acid or piperacillin as empiric antibiotic therapy for febrile cancer patients.

Resistance of bacteria to beta-lactam antibiotics remains a difficult clinical problem that can be compounded in infected patients with serious underlying illness, especially those who are immunocompromised. In a prospective randomized safety and efficacy trial, febrile cancer patients received either ticarcillin disodium combined with the beta-lactamase inhibitor clavulante potassium (Timentin, Beecham Laboratories, Bristol, TN) plus moxalactam (T+M), or piperacillin plus moxalactam (P+M) as initial empiric antimicrobial therapy. Sixty-six febrile episodes in 53 patients were studied. In the T+M group, 14 (78%) of 18 clinically evaluable infections in patients with profound granulocytopenia improved as did all 14 (100%) such infections in the P+M group. In the T+M group 17 of 21 (81%) similarly evaluable infections improved irrespective of granulocyte count, as did 14 (88%) of 16 of such infections in the P+M group. These results are not statistically significantly different. Serious side effects were infrequent and comparable with both regimens. There was one antibiotic related hemorrhage in the P+M group and a serious episode of nephrotoxicity in a patient who died without recovering renal function in the T+M group. These results suggest that the overall safety and efficacy of Timentin plus moxalactam, and piperacillin plus moxalactam are comparable and similar to previous empiric antibiotic trials.