What is (are) Parathyroid Cancer ?
Key Points
                    - Parathyroid cancer is a rare disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of a parathyroid gland.    - Having certain inherited disorders can increase the risk of developing parathyroid cancer.     - Signs and symptoms of parathyroid cancer include weakness, feeling tired, and a lump in the neck.    - Tests that examine the neck and blood are used to detect (find) and diagnose parathyroid cancer.    - Certain factors affect prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options.
                
                
                    Parathyroid cancer is a rare disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of a parathyroid gland.
                    The parathyroid glands are four pea-sized organs found in the neck near the thyroid gland. The parathyroid glands make parathyroid hormone (PTH or parathormone). PTH helps the body use and store calcium to keep the calcium in the blood at normal levels.     A parathyroid gland may become overactive and make too much PTH, a condition called hyperparathyroidism. Hyperparathyroidism can occur when a benign tumor (noncancer), called an adenoma, forms on one of the parathyroid glands, and causes it to grow and become overactive. Sometimes hyperparathyroidism can be caused by parathyroid cancer, but this is very rare.   The extra PTH causes:          - The calcium stored in the bones to move into the blood.    - The intestines to absorb more calcium from the food we eat.        This condition is called hypercalcemia (too much calcium in the blood).   The hypercalcemia caused by hyperparathyroidism is more serious and life-threatening than parathyroid cancer itself and treating hypercalcemia is as important as treating the cancer.