

High calcium levels in the body can cause you to become unconscious and eventually die.Ĭancer cells can affect the bone marrow. Then the calcium levels can continue to rise in the blood. There is a treatment to bring calcium levels back to normal, but these only work for a limited time.

The body has systems to correct this, but the systems don't work anymore when the imbalance becomes too great.

This can affect the calcium balance of the body. So the infection can eventually lead to death.Ĭancer in the bones can cause calcium to be released into the bloodstream. If you have advanced cancer, you might not have the strength to fight off a lung infection, even with strong antibiotics. When cancer blocks the lungs, there may eventually be not enough healthy lung tissue to allow you to absorb the oxygen you need. This part then collapses and can become infected. So, you are less able to cope with other problems, such as infection.Ĭancer might block off part of the lung. If you can't eat and drink, you don't get the necessary nutrients to help your immune system to work well. But if this is not possible, your medical team will do all they can to control your symptoms. You might be able to have surgery to remove the blockage. So food can't go through the gut and the nutrients and calories you need can't be absorbed. It includes the:Ĭancer that grows in the digestive system can block it or partly block it. The digestive system is also called the gastrointestinal (GI) system. How cancer causes death depends on your cancer type and which parts of your body are affected. Some cancers start in or spread to a part of the body that does something essential for life. A lot of effort is put into early diagnosis when treatment is likely to work best. Cancer survival is improving and has doubled in the last 40 years in the UK.Ĭancer at an early stage doesn't usually kill you. Not all cancers cause deathįirstly, it's important to remember that not all cancers cause death. Overall, 50 out of every 100 (50%) people diagnosed with cancer in England and Wales live for 10 years or more. And it's ok if you don't want to read this information at all. So, you can save to read this information another time when you feel ready. We know that talking about this can be difficult. It is something that most people worry about at some point. Many people have questions about how cancer can kill you.
