endocrine and metabolic disorders
Parathyroid Tumors
Parathyroid cancer
Parathyroid cancer is rare. Risk factors for parathyroid cancer include Radiation therapy to the neck Family history of parathyroid tumors Overview of Multiple Endocrine Neoplasias (MEN) None Parathyroid carcinomas are usually slow growing. If the initial surgery is able to remove the entire gland without rupture of the capsule, long-term survival without recurrence is common. Recurrent cancer is usually slow growing and spreads locally in the neck. Occasionally, parathyroid cancers are more aggressive with distant metastases. Parathyroid carcinomas cause hyperparathyroidism similar to adenomas except that the hyperparathyroidism and hypercalcemia due to parathyroid carcinoma is more severe. Calcium levels of 14 to15 mg/dL (3.5 to 3.7 mmol/L) should raise concern for carcinoma. Symptoms are due to Hypercalcemia . Diagnosis includes blood tests to detect elevated levels of PTH and imaging tests to locate tumors. Parathyroid cancers are usually removed surgically. Sometimes radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy are also needed. Discovery of a number of mutations in established cancer genes in parathyroid carcinoma cells raises hope of new treatments using targeted therapeutic agents developed for other types of cancers. Unsuspected germline mutations have also been discovered in a minority of patients with parathyroid cancer. Genetic screening of family members in select cases has been recommended. 