Higher blood calcium levels

Hello Lucy Locket,

Thank you for getting in touch and welcome back to our Online Community.

I’m Elise, one of the cancer information nurses on the support line.

It’s understandable to be concerned about any blood result abnormality, particularly when you’re waiting on a treatment plan to be confirmed.

As you may know, the level of calcium in the blood is normally between 2.1 and 2.6 mmol per litre and having cancer can affect the amount of calcium in the body.

The decision to treat high calcium levels is usually based on any presenting symptoms and how high the calcium levels are in the blood tests alongside your medical history and all other blood test results.

Hypercalcaemia can be related to cancer but can also be related to other health conditions.

You mention symptoms that could be related to hypercalcaemia so it’s important that you have the opportunity to discuss these blood results with your GP and your urologist to confirm if you need treatment or if your calcium levels will continue to be monitored for a period of time.

It’s important to ask at what point would treatment for hypercalcaemia be introduced i.e., what is the limit of abnormality that would be considered safe for you.

You mention that you have an appointment with a urologist on the 20^{th of} January but having even a telephone appointment with your GP in the meantime to discuss your calcium level AND your symptoms in the meantime would seem appropriate.

It would also be helpful to discuss the possibility of anti-nausea medication.

You’re doing the right thing by keeping hydrated and eat what you can when you can.

Managing a reduced appetite can be difficult and of course maintaining your weight can be an important factor in coping with cancer surgery and treatment.

You may find our booklet “The building up diet” helpful. You can download or order it free of charge.

Please don’t hesitate to call the cancer information nurses on the support line if you’d like to talk about any of this in a bit more detail.

Best wishes

Elise

Cancer Information Nurse Specialist

 You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or email us. 

Ref:EMcP

Thank you.

The surgery say the earliest phone appointment is in 3 weeks unless it's an emergency, in which case I can ask to speak to a triage nurse on the day. I don't know what to do. 

Hi Lucy,

Thanks for getting back in touch with us. My name is Amy and I am one of Elise’s colleagues on the support line.

I know in the current climate it can be tricky getting access to the GP. And I appreciate you are worried about what your raised calcium level could mean for you.

As Elise explained, it is not always just the ‘number’, but the physical symptoms and other health conditions you may have that influence whether this needs to be acted on immediately or not.

Usually when blood results come back to the GP they check them and if they feel anything needs investigated further, or treated, they would get in touch with you directly or leave a note for the reception team to make an appointment for you.

But again, I appreciate this can sometimes be overlooked.

We would encourage you to get back in touch with the GP practice and explain to the reception team you are currently being investigated for a likely kidney cancer and have had blood results that confirm your calcium levels are elevated and you want to make sure this does not need any treatment or intervention at this time. Explain you do not necessarily need an appointment but just to know they are aware of the elevate level and what the best management for this is.

If they are not able to do this, then you can contact them and ask for an ‘on the day’ appointment with the triage nurse.

I hope this helps.

Please don’t hesitate to get back in touch if you have any further questions.

Best wishes, 

Amy C, Cancer Information Nurse Specialist 

You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email. 

Ref: LA