Parathyroid Cancer

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This blog is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Content is sourced from third parties, and we do not guarantee accuracy or accept any liability for its use. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical guidance.

What is Parathyroid Cancer?

Parathyroid cancer is a rare malignancy of the parathyroid glands, four small glands behind the thyroid regulating calcium via parathyroid hormone (PTH). It causes hyperparathyroidism (excess PTH), leading to hypercalcemia. In 2025, it accounts for <1% of hyperparathyroidism cases, with ~100 US diagnoses annually, median age 50, equally affecting men/women, often sporadic but linked to familial syndromes.

Symptoms

Symptoms stem from hypercalcemia: fatigue, weakness, bone pain, fractures, kidney stones, excessive thirst/urination, nausea/vomiting, abdominal pain, constipation, muscle aches, confusion, depression, and a palpable neck lump (50% of cases). Symptoms mimic benign hyperparathyroidism but are severe.

Causes

Causes are unknown, but risk factors include prior neck radiation, familial hyperparathyroidism (HPT-JT syndrome with CDC73 mutations), and end-stage renal disease. Genetic alterations in CDC73 gene are common. In 2025, studies show cyclin D1/PRAD1 overexpression in 40% of cases.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis uses blood tests for high calcium/PTH, urine for calcium excretion, imaging (ultrasound, sestamibi scan, CT/MRI) to localize tumor, and biopsy (rarely, due to seeding risk). Fine-needle aspiration is avoided; surgical exploration confirms. In 2025, 4D-CT improves localization.

Treatment

Surgery (en bloc resection of gland, thyroid lobe, lymph nodes) is curative in 90% early cases. Recurrent/hypercalcemic cases use cinacalcet (calcimimetic) or bisphosphonates. Radiation/chemotherapy have limited efficacy. In 2025, targeted therapies for CDC73 mutations are in trials.

Future Outlook

In 2025, 5-year survival is 85%, 49% 10-year, with recurrence in 50%. Early surgery improves to 90%. By 2030, genomic therapies could reduce recurrence to 30%.

Sources

The information is based on Cleveland Clinic’s “Parathyroid Cancer: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment” for overview; Macmillan’s “Parathyroid cancer – symptoms, diagnosis, treatment” for symptoms; Penn Medicine’s “Parathyroid Cancer – Symptoms and Causes” for causes; MD Anderson’s “Parathyroid Disease” for types; Vanderbilt-Ingram’s “Parathyroid Cancer” for outlook; Yale Medicine’s “Parathyroid Cancer” for symptoms; MedlinePlus’s “Parathyroid cancer” for understanding; Mount Sinai’s “Parathyroid cancer Information” for treatment; StatPearls’s “Parathyroid Cancer” for diagnosis; TGH’s “Parathyroid Cancer Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment” for comprehensive review.