Cancer Diary: Bone Cancer and Hypercalcemia

 

🦴 How Bone Cancer Triggers Hypercalcemia

Hypercalcemia in cancer is often caused by bone metastases—when cancer cells invade bone tissue and stimulate osteoclasts, the cells that break down bone. This breakdown releases calcium stored in the bones into the blood. The more aggressive or widespread the bone involvement, the higher the risk.

There are two main pathways:

• Direct bone destruction: Seen in cancers like multiple myeloma, breast, lung, and prostate cancer that metastasize to bone.
• Paraneoplastic hormone production: Some tumors produce parathyroid hormone–related peptide (PTHrP) or excess calcitriol (vitamin D), which also increase calcium levels.

🧬 Cancers Most Likely to Cause Hypercalcemia via Bone Involvement

• Multiple myeloma: Directly affects bone marrow and causes extensive bone breakdown.
• Breast cancer: Frequently metastasizes to bone.
• Lung cancer: Can cause hypercalcemia through both bone metastases and PTHrP production.
• Prostate cancer: Often spreads to bone, though less commonly causes hypercalcemia.
• Kidney cancer and lymphoma: May also lead to hypercalcemia through bone or hormonal mechanisms.

🩺 Why It Matters

Hypercalcemia from bone involvement is often a sign of advanced disease and can lead to serious symptoms like confusion, weakness, dehydration, and kidney failure. Treatment typically includes:

• IV fluids
• Bisphosphonates or denosumab to block bone breakdown
• Calcitonin for rapid calcium lowering
• Dialysis in severe cases

For other Cancer Diary posts, click HERE.

Blog editor's note: As a memorial to Carl, and simply because it is truly needed, MSI Press is now hosting a web page, Carl's Cancer Compendium, as a one-stop starting point for all things cancer, to make it easier for those with cancer to find answers to questions that can otherwise take hours to track down on the Internet and/or from professionals. The CCC is expanded and updated weekly. As part of this effort, each week, on Monday, this blog will carry an informative, cancer-related story -- and be open to guest posts: Cancer Diary. 

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