The Impact of Metastatic Bone Cancers on Serum Calcium Levels: A Focused Analysis of Patient Outcomes

Background: Metastatic bone cancers are a significant clinical problem because metastasis disrupts normal bone homeostasis, including calcium dysregulation. Much less is known about hypocalcemia and its clinical consequences. The study analyzed serum calcium changes in metastatic bone cancer patients, assessed differences across diagnoses and clinical stages, and evaluated alkaline phosphatase levels and types of bone lesions. Method: A prospective study was conducted on 100 metastatic bone cancers using convenience sampling, at Indus Medical College Hospital, between March and April 2020. The patients were categorized based on the principle tumor type, clinical stage, and bone scan results. Serum calcium, corrected calcium, albumin, and ALP are measured and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Data analysis was done by SPSS using one-way ANOVA, t-tests, Pearson correlation, regression analysis, and Chi-square tests. A p-value of <0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean serum calcium was 8.5 ± 0.6 mg/dl. The corrected calcium level of the patients with breast cancer was statistically lower compared with the prostate cancer patients - 8.3 ± 0.5 mg/dl (p = 0.01) compared with 9.0 ± 0.6 mg/dl. The levels of ALP in blastic lesions were higher than in lytic ones, amounting to 600 ± 300 IU/L and 250 ± 100 IU/L, respectively. There was marked regression in the main diagnosis and ALP levels, which occurred with serum calcium being altered in breast cancer. Conclusion: Serum calcium levels vary significantly among different types of cancers and stages, suggesting a vigilant monitoring of calcium and ALP levels in clinical practice.