High calcium

pjune127
pjune127 Member Posts: 127
in Kidney Cancer #1
Has anyone here ever had a high calcium level? About two weeks ago my oncologist's nurse called me to tell me they wanted to recheck my calcium level. It had been 11 (should be no higher than 10, I think). I went on Monday, 12 days later and they called me today to tell me it is still too high,,,now 11.8. They said I need to hydrate a lot and go in for another blood draw next Thursday when I have my appointment with the oncologist. They want to run a few other tests. I've searched the internet (sometimes not a good thing) and got as far as 99.9% of the time, high calcium is due to hyperparathyroidism which requires surgery. Of course I know that I am not normal (haha) since I have RCC, but have any of you ever had this happen. Just wondering....

Paula

Comments

  • NewDay
    NewDay Member Posts: 272
    #2
    Website about calcium
    The quote below is from the website below. It gives a pretty thorough explanation about high/low calcium. I don't know if it has anything to do with their concern, but this site says high levels can indicate cancer has spread to the bone. I certainly hope that's not the case. Keep us posted.

    "Cancer: Cancer can cause hypercalcemia when it spreads to the bones and causes the release of calcium from the bone into the blood or when a cancer produces a hormone similar to PTH, resulting in increased calcium levels."

    http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/calcium/tab/test

    Kathy
  • MedScanMan
    MedScanMan Member Posts: 107
    #3
    Elevated Calcium
    Hi Paula
    Before my RCC was discovered the only real medical problem I had was elevated blood calcium. It went on for more than 10 years with every doctor telling me "It's Just You". It usually stayed in the very hi 10's then once to 11.3 and twice to 11.8 where you are now. I don't want to get you nervous but once blood calcium levels get into the high 12's you need to be admitted to a hospital. Getting up that high could cause something called cardiac standstill. That phrase needs no explanation. My doctor sent me for a nuclear scan called a sestamibi scan. It checks your four parathyroid glands. They're each about the size of a grain of rice and sit below the thyroid. Parathyroid tumors are very common and the removal of these benign tumors will bring your calcium right down. There is a new way of doing this surgery. Years ago the doctors did something called a radical neck, and it was radical. Exploring everything in sight to spot the adenoma. Now they have something called minimally invasive, radioguided, parathyroidextomy. The nuclear scan is done, and halfway through the scan they see whether its a right upper or lower or left upper or lower, they scoot you on to the OR table and with an instrument they make a 1 inch incision in your neck and slide the baby Geiger counter in to guide them to the tumor. Most of these surgeries take less than 20 minutes. Mine took 16 and I have it on film. If this problem persists with you go to this web site......parathyroid.com. It's a site to the man who invented this surgery. His name is Dr. James Norman. People come to him from all over the country. He's in Tampa Bay. I had a great experience there about 5 years ago and my calcium level came down to a normal range. If interested call them, they'll tell you what tests to have and you won't believe their process. Hours of understandable reading at their web site. Good luck and be careful with this. Don't just let it go.

    Jeff

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