Cancer of the parathyroid glands

• cancer of the parathyroid glands is a very rare cancer that affects these glands, size of a pea which lie in front of the neck, two on each side of the thyroid gland.
• The four parathyroid glands produce parathyroid hormone (PTH). This chemical:
• • increases calcium levels in the blood by forcing the bones to release this element
• stimulates the intestine to absorb calcium from food more
• indicates that the kidneys should decrease the amount of calcium excreted in the urine.
• parathyroid glands healthy adjust their production of PTH to maintain calcium levels in the blood within the normal range.
• When the parathyroid gland cells become cancerous, they multiply uncontrollably and form a tumor generally grayish white firm consistency. This tumor may invade the thyroid gland and neck muscles.
• As cancer cells grow, generally produce large amounts of PTH, which conditions abnormally high blood calcium (hypercalcemia). The PTH can increase both the bones release an excessive amount of calcium, which can cause bone pain and lead to the onset of osteoporosis (bone thin and fragile).
• Elevated levels of PTH also force the kidneys to retain large amounts of calcium, triggering the formation of kidney stones. Very high levels of calcium can also cause kidney damage, dehydration and confusion.
• Cancer of the parathyroid glands usually occurs in adults aged between 50 and 70 years. Given that this is a very rare tumor is not currently known factors specific environmental or lifestyle factors that increase the risk of this cancer. Some cases seem to have a genetic association, affecting different generations of the same family.
Treatment
Treatment will depend on the cancer affects only the parathyroid glands or have spread (metastasized) to other areas. The parathyroid glands cancer spreads most often to the following locations:
• lymph
• lungs
• bones
• liver.
If cancer is found limited to the parathyroid glands, the patient will receive drugs to control blood calcium levels by undergoing a surgical operation. The gland cancer will then be removed together with a portion of the thyroid gland on the same side of the neck. In some medical centers is used radiotherapy after surgery.
If the cancer has spread outside the gland, the patient will require surgery to remove most of the tumor as possible. This intervention will help reduce PTH and the calcium levels in the blood. Before and after the surgery the patient will require medication to help maintain calcium in blood at normal levels.
If the patient is unable to undergo surgery, the high calcium must be controlled with medications. By measuring the levels of PTH and calcium, doctors can monitor response to treatment.
Patients with metastatic cancer of the parathyroid glands may participate in clinical trials to evaluate new therapies involving radiotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy. These trials are usually conducted in large academic medical centers.
Prevention
Since the risk factors for cancer of the parathyroid glands remain unknown, there is currently no way to prevent this cancer.