Jan
Hypercalcemia (high levels of calcium in your blood) is the most common life threatening disorder that is associated with cancer. It occurs in 10 to 20% of cancer patients. Lung cancer, breast cancer and multiple myeloma are the most prevalent malignancies associated with hypercalcemia. The cause of hypercalcemia is when cancer spreads to or invades the bones and when malignant cells release certain factors that cause calcium to be released from the bone. This causes bones to break down faster than they are being rebuilt, resulting in an increase calcium release into the blood stream. Normally, your kidneys would eliminate excess calcium from your blood, but with hypercalcemia the kidneys cannot keep up with the elimination process. Some physical signs to look out for when your blood calcium is too high would be tiredness, confusion, unstable gait, constipation, decreased appetite, increase urination and bone pain. If hypercalcemia is not diagnosed it can lead to more serious complications like heart problems, convulsions and even coma. If you feel any of these symptoms or if your family members or friends are noticing that you are not walking steady or seem confused, you should make an appointment with your doctor immediately. Your doctor can check your blood to see if you are suffering from hypercalcemia
Tags: am, Cancer, lung, metastatic, Stage