The parathyroid gland is located at the base of the front of the neck, near the thyroid gland. Normally, the parathyroid gland produces parathyroid hormone (PTH), which helps the body store and use calcium. Problems with the parathyroid gland are common and are not usually cancer-related.
When parathyroid cancer does develop, it causes the parathyroid to make too much PTH. The extra PTH takes calcium from the bones, causing pain, kidney problems, and other disorders that result when too much calcium is in the blood.
Symptoms include bone pain, a lump in the neck, pain in the upper back, weak muscles, difficulty speaking, or vomiting. Physicians diagnose the disease using blood tests and other exams.
Treatment includes surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy, alone or in combination, and depends on whether the cancer has spread beyond the parathyroid gland.
