One treatment for cancer, chemotherapy, can alter the normal balance of potassium in your blood. Because of the process of tumor lysis syndrome, chemotherapy treatment may lead to a condition doctors diagnose as hyperkalemia, a high serum potassium level. If left untreated, hyperkalemia becomes dangerous quickly, which is why it is important that you understand your risk factors, the symptoms of hyperkalemia and when to seek medical intervention.
Tumor Lysis Syndrome
If you have cancer, your doctor develops a protocol for treatment. Many times, the protocol involves therapies such as chemotherapy that cause rapid destruction of the cancer cells in your body. When the cancer cells die, they release their intracellular components -- one of those being potassium -- into your bloodstream. Particularly if you have a large amount of cancer present, as is often the case with cancers such as lymphoma and leukemia, you are at risk of a large shift of potassium into your blood that your body cannot eliminate at a normal, healthy rate.
Hyperkalemia
A healthy potassium level is between 3.6 and 4.8 mEq/L, milliequivalents per liter. If chemotherapy treatment of your cancer results in tumor lysis syndrome, your potassium may quickly rise above 6 mEq/L. At this level, serum potassium is dangerous and potentially lethal. Early stages of tumor lysis syndrome and hyperkalemia may have no symptoms. However, as the syndrome progresses, it is imperative you do not ignore symptoms, to prevent complications associated with excess potassium and other electrolyte imbalances.
Symptoms of Hyperkalemia
After your chemotherapy treatments, monitor yourself closely for early signs of hyperkalemia. These include muscle weakness and fatigue, nausea and general weakness. If ignored, these symptoms can progress to heart palpitations, chest pain, paralysis and a weak, slow pulse. You may also experience diarrhea if your serum potassium level is excessively high.
Treatment
For acute hyperkalemia, treatment involves protecting your body from the adverse effects of excessive potassium. Expect your doctor to prescribe one of several therapies, such as administration of a cation-exchange resin medication, intravenous administration of intravenous calcium or intravenous glucose and insulin, or kidney dialysis. For long-term treatment -- or treatment of mild cases of hyperkalemia -- your doctor may recommend limiting your dietary potassium intake or taking diuretic medication to prevent future episodes of the electrolyte imbalance.
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