title: The management of hypercalcaemia in advanced cancer.
abstract: Hypercalcaemia is common in patients with advanced cancer. If detected, it usually responds to palliative treatment and patients' distressing symptoms will improve markedly. However, if left untreated hypercalcaemia is potentially fatal. It can be difficult to detect as its symptoms can also be attributed to other common aspects of advanced malignancy. It is therefore essential that nurses are aware of the underlying physiology and can identify which patients are at risk of becoming hypercalcaemic. Hypercalcaemia often recurs and can become increasingly difficult to treat. Such refractory hypercalcaemia requires sensitive and considered management with advance care planning, particularly as difficult treatment dilemmas may arise if and when malignancy advances.
authors.affiliation: Coventry University, Priory Street, Coventry CV1 SFU, England. A.Pettifer@coventry.ac.uk
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pettifer
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grant
mesh_terms: D032722:Advance Care Planning; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005440:Fluid Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D006934:Hypercalcemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D010166:Palliative Care; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D004164:Diphosphonates; D002116:Calcitonin; D002118:Calcium