The term cancer does not refer to a single disease, but rather to more than 100 individual diseases characterized by the uncontrolled growth of cells within the body. Most normal cells grow, reproduce and die in an orderly, controlled fashion. However, cancer cells grow and divide endlessly, crowding out nearby healthy cells and eventually spreading to other parts of the body. This spread of cancerous cells is called metastasis.

—      A malignant tumor is a mass, or collection, of cancer cells. Malignant tumors grow rapidly and can invade nearby tissues. They can eventually metastasize (spread) to other parts of the body.

—      A benign tumor, on the other hand, is a mass of cells that is not cancerous. It will not invade nearby tissues or metastasize (spread) to other parts of the body.

Parathyroid cancer, a very rare cancer, is a disease in which cancerous (malignant) cells are found in the tissues of the parathyroid gland. The parathyroid gland is at the base of the neck, near the thyroid gland. The parathyroid gland makes a hormone called parathyroid hormone (PTH), or parathormone, which helps the body store and use calcium.

Problems with the parathyroid gland are common and are usually not caused by cancer. If parathyroid cancer is found, the parathyroid gland may be making too much PTH. This causes too much calcium to be found in the blood. The extra PTH also takes calcium from the bones, which causes pain in the bones, kidney problems, and other types of problems.

There are other conditions that can cause the parathyroid gland to make too much PTH. It is important for a doctor to determine what is causing the extra PTH. For example, hyperparathyroidism is a condition which can cause the body to make extra PTH. If hyperparathyroidism runs in the family, there is a greater chance of getting this type of cancer.

The chance of recovery (prognosis) depends on whether the cancer is just in the parathyroid gland or has spread to other parts of the body (stage), and the patient’s general health.

Staging

Once parathyroid cancer is found, more tests will be done to find out if cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body. This is called staging. A doctor needs to know the stage of the disease to plan treatment. The following stages are used for parathyroid cancer:

—      Localized: The cancer is only on the parathyroid gland and has not spread to tissues next to the parathyroid.

—      Metastatic: The cancer has spread to lymph nodes in the area or to other parts of the body, such as the lungs.

—      Recurrent: The cancer has come back (recurred) after it has been treated. It may come back in the original place or in another part of the body.

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