Abstract Background In the acute setting, PTH-independent hypercalcemia is typically treated with anti-resorptive agents such as zoledronic acid or denosumab. When these agents are no longer able to control hypercalcemia, several case reports have shown the utility of cinacalcet. However, it is not known if cinacalcet can be effective in patients naïve to anti-resorptive therapy or how cinacalcet ameliorates the hypercalcemia. Case presentation A 47-year-old male with a history of alcohol-induced cirrhosis was admitted for left cheek bleeding and swelling from an infiltrative squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. On admission, he was found to have an elevated albumin-corrected serum calcium of 13.6 mg/dL, a serum phosphorus of 2.2 mg/dL and an intact PTH of 6 pg/mL (normal 18–90) with a PTHrP of 8.1 pmol/L (normal