Hypercalcaemia as an Early Cancer Biomarker

Hypercalcaemia is the most common metabolic disorder associated with cancer, occurring in 10-20% of people with cancer. While its connection to cancer is well known, this study has, for the first time, shown that often it can predate the diagnosis of cancer in primary care.

A simple blood test could identify those with hypercalcaemia, prompting doctors to investigate further.

British Journal of Cancer

The research, published in the , analysed the electronic records of 54,000 patients who had elevated levels of calcium and looked at how many of them went on to receive a cancer diagnosis.

Fergus Hamilton, MD, who led the research from the Centre for Academic Primary Care at the University of Bristol, said: "All previous studies on hypercalcaemia and cancer had been carried out with patients who had already been diagnosed with cancer — hypercalcaemia was seen as a late effect of the cancer.

Report on MedicalXpress: http://bit.ly/1rk6WIb