Chondrosarcoma, a type of cancer that originates in bone cells, can impact blood calcium levels. Maintaining appropriate levels of calcium is important for health, as too little or too much calcium in your blood can lead to health problems. If you have chondrosarcoma, talk with your oncologist about your risk of running a high blood calcium level and what you can do to prevent it.
Chondrosarcoma
Chondrosarcoma is a cancer that typically arises from cartilage cells in the femur, pelvis, knee, arm or spine. It most commonly strikes individuals between the ages of 50 and 70, and is rarely found in those under the age of 20. Symptoms of this cancer can include a lump on a bone, pressure around the lump, or severe pain. If the tumor is at the base of the skull, neurological symptoms can occur. Surgery is usually used to treat this cancer, since it can be unresponsive to chemotherapy or radiation.
Cancer and Blood Calcium Levels
Cancer that starts in the bone, like chondrosarcoma, can lead to abnormal blood calcium levels. Cancer cells can cause bone cells to break off and go into the bloodstream, causing high blood calcium, also called hypercalcemia. As blood calcium levels increase, symptoms can occur, including excessive fatigue, increased urination, abnormal heart rhythms, muscle twitching, depression, confusion and kidney stones. If blood calcium levels continue to increase, this can lead to coma and death.
Treatment
Treatment for high blood calcium levels can vary, depending on both the amount of calcium in your blood, and how fast the levels are rising. Mild hypercalcemia may be treated by staying hydrated; you should drink 2 to 3 qts. of liquid every 24 hours. Staying active is important, as immobility aggravates hypercalcemia. Sometimes your oncologist will give you chemotherapy drugs to reduce the rate of bone turnover and reduce the risk of hypercalcemia; she may also administer intravenous diuretics or bisphosphonates, which help prevent bone loss. In severe cases that do not respond to other treatments, dialysis may be necessary, to flush the excess calcium out of your system.
Considerations
Some of the symptoms of hypercalcemia can also be side effects of the cancer and its treatment, like fatigue, increased urination and depression. If you are experiencing any adverse effects or possible symptoms of abnormal calcium levels, it is important to call your oncologist or treatment team to get an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. By working to prevent or catch hypercalcemia in its early stages, you can avoid having your treatment for chondrosarcoma interrupted due to this condition.
