From Mdwiki | Parathyroid carcinoma | |
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| Parathyroid gland anatomy(green marks) | |
| Specialty | Oncology, ENT surgery |
Parathyroid carcinoma is a rare cancer resulting in parathyroid adenoma to carcinoma progression.[1] It forms in tissues of one or more of the parathyroid glands (four pea-sized glands in the neck that make parathyroid hormone (PTH). PTH helps the body maintain normal levels of serum calcium by promoting calcium reabsorption from bone. It is antagonized by the hormone calcitonin, which prompts calcium storage.).
It is rare,[2] and much less common than parathyroid adenoma. It can be difficult to excise.[3]
Most patients experience moderate to severe hypercalcemia and high parathyroid hormone levels. A large mass in the neck is often seen, and kidney and bone abnormalities are common.[1]
Parathyroid cancer occurs in midlife at the same rate in men and women.[citation needed]
Conditions that appear to result in an increased risk of parathyroid cancer include multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1,[4] autosomal dominant familial isolated hyperparathyroidism[4] and hyperparathyroidism-jaw tumor syndrome[1] (which also is hereditary).[1] Parathyroid cancer has also been associated with external radiation exposure, but, most reports describe an association between radiation and the more common parathyroid adenoma.[4]

The diagnosis of this condition is done via the following:[5]
Malignancy is per indication of metastasis, ultrasonographic features, and results of hormone assays. [5]
Parathyroid carcinoma is sometimes diagnosed during surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism. If the surgeon suspects carcinoma based on severity or invasion of surrounding tissues by a firm parathyroid tumor, aggressive excision is performed, including the thyroid and surrounding tissues as necessary.[1]
Agents such as calcimimetics (for example, cinacalcet) are used to mimic calcium and are able to activate the parathyroid calcium-sensing receptor (making the parathyroid gland "think" we have more calcium than we actually do), therefore lowering the calcium level, in an attempt to decrease the hypercalcemia.[citation needed]
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| External resources |
This article incorporates public domain material from the U.S. National Cancer Institute document: "Dictionary of Cancer Terms".
Categories: [Endocrine neoplasia] [Rare cancers]