A Simple Guide to Parathyroid Cancer, Diagnosis, Treatment and Related Conditions

This book describes Parathyroid Cancer, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related Diseases

Parathyroid Cancer begins when healthy parathyroid cells change and grow out of control, forming a mass called a tumor.

A tumor can be cancerous or benign.

A cancerous tumor is malignant, meaning it can grow and spread to other parts of the body.

Four little grains of parathyroid glands
At the back of the butterfly shaped Thyroid Gland
They all produce a bit of parathyroid hormone
To regulate the calcium in the blood and bone

But when the glands produce too much
And one of the gland suddenly become enlarged
The gland really makes me suffer all the weakness and pain
From the loss of calcium accumulated in the bones in vain

Calcium and phosphorus combine to make calcium phosphate.
That material gives hardness and strength to bones and dental plate
Calcium is also needed to help blood to clot after an injury.
It is also required for muscles and nerves to work properly

Phosphorus works with calcium to do these jobs.
Excess parathyroid hormone will cause the phosphorus and energy to drop
No medicine has been known to cure this wayward gland.
I am afraid that only the gland’s removal will be the only end

-An original poem by Kenneth Kee

A parathyroid tumor, whether benign or malignant, can produce significant disorders since this tumor induces the blood calcium to rise, resulting in a serious disorder called hypercalcemia.

The doctor may require quick treatment of hypercalcemia if the person is having life-threatening symptoms.

Parathyroid cancer happens when the parathyroid cells grow out of control.

Doctors do not know precisely what causes it.

This is a rare type of slow-growing cancer.

The precise causes for most parathyroid tumors are not known.

These risk factors may raise a person’s chance of developing parathyroid tumors and cancer:

1. Family history
A history of parathyroid tumors in a family may increase a person’s risk of developing a parathyroid tumor.

A hereditary or inherited disorder termed multiple endocrine neoplasia may raise a person’s risk for benign parathyroid tumors.

All MEN-linked parathyroid tumors are benign.

2. Hyperparathyroidism jaw tumor (HPT-JT)

This is an inherited disorder that induces higher activity in the parathyroid glands.

HPT-JT is produced by mutations, or alterations, to the CDC73 gene and places people at a greater risk of developing parathyroid cancer.

There are no known risk factors for people without a family history of parathyroid tumors.

The parathyroid glands make a hormone that helps the body maintain and use calcium, which makes bones strong and helps muscles and nerves do their works.

It is termed PTH, for parathyroid hormone.

Most people with parathyroid cancer produce too much PTH that results in too much calcium in the blood (called hypercalcemia).

Parathyroid scan (sestamibi/SPECT scan)

This test shows if the parathyroid makes too much PTH.

SPECT is a type of CT scan, and it stands for “single proton emission computed tomography.”

A sestamibi/SPECT scan is a procedure in which a specific protein, called sestamibi, is mixed with a radioactive material and injected into the patient’s vein.

A parathyroid tumor will absorb the protein and the tumor will be visible on an x-ray of the neck.

Surgery is the most frequent treatment for parathyroid cancer.

TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
Chapter 1 Parathyroid Cancer
Chapter 2 Causes
Chapter 3 Symptoms
Chapter 4 Diagnosis
Chapter 5 Treatment
Chapter 6 Prognosis
Chapter 7 Parathyroid Adenoma
Chapter 8 Hyperparathyroidism
Epilogue