What is Parathyroid Cancer?

Parathyroid cancer is a rare type of cancer that begins in the parathyroid glands. The parathyroid glands are four small glands located in the front of the neck, with one parathyroid gland found behind each corner of the thyroid gland. These glands produce the parathyroid hormone (PTH), which controls the levels of calcium in the blood. Primary hyperparathyroidism is a condition in which the parathyroid glands produce too much PTH. Primary hyperparathyroidism is almost always caused by benign tumors (adenomas) on the parathyroid, and can lead to hypercalcemia, or excess calcium in the blood. However, in very rare cases these conditions may be caused by parathyroid cancer. Malignant parathyroid cells can grow and multiply out of control, producing massive amounts of PTH and causing severe hypercalcemia. This is a serious medical condition that can cause coma or kidney failure and must be treated immediately. Parathyroid cancer is usually slow-growing and not very aggressive, so the extreme hypercalcemia caused by this disease is usually more dangerous than the disease itself. Parathyroid tumors rarely invade the lymphatic system or spread to other parts of the body but may invade the thyroid gland and other nearby structures.