Hypercalcemia is an increase in the amount of calcium present in the blood. Calcium is an integral part of the material that makes up much of our bones (calcium phosphate). Release of too much calcium may lead to a wide range of symptoms including problems affecting the nervous system and heart. The process by which hypercalcemia is induced by cancer cells is shown below. Tumor cells (blue) release factors (green) that stimulate other cells in the bone (called osteoclasts-orange) to degrade the bone, releasing calcium (purple) into the blood. The tumor cells may be located outside the bone, in a different tissue/organ or present within the bone as shown below.(1)(2)
The treatments for hypercalcemia work by mechanisms that are not entirely clear. The drugs may work in several ways, two of which are shown in the animation below. Binding of the drug (pink) to the bone prevents the action of the osteoclasts. The drugs may also induce the death of the osteoclasts, reducing their number and therefore their ability to degrade the bone.(1)(2)
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