title: The risk of cancer in primary care patients with hypercalcaemia: a cohort study using electronic records.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The risk of cancer with hypercalcaemia in primary care is unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cohort study using calcium results in patients aged ⩾40 years in a primary care electronic data set. Diagnoses of cancer in the following year were identified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants (54 267) had calcium results: 1674 (3%) were ⩾2.6 mmol l(-1). Hypercalcaemia was strongly associated with cancer, especially in males: OR 2.92, 95% CI 2.17-3.93, P=<0.001; positive predictive value (PPV) 11.5%; females: OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.39-2.50, P<0.001: PPV 4.1%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypercalcaemia is strongly associated with cancer in primary care, with men at most risk, despite hypercalcaemia being more common in women.
authors.affiliation: University of Bristol, Centre for Academic Primary Care, School of Social and Community Medicine, Canyngne Hall, Bristol BS8 2PS, UK.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.affiliation: University of Bristol, Centre for Academic Primary Care, School of Social and Community Medicine, Canyngne Hall, Bristol BS8 2PS, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.affiliation: University of Exeter, St Luke's Campus, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.affiliation: University of Bristol, Centre for Academic Primary Care, School of Social and Community Medicine, Canyngne Hall, Bristol BS8 2PS, UK.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Salisbury
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D057286:Electronic Health Records; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006934:Hypercalcemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
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