Parathyroid carcinoma

Abstract

Parathyroid carcinoma is a very rare cancer, accounting for 0.5% to 5% of all causes of primary hyperparathyroidism. Parathyroid carcinoma has an equal frequency of occurrence in both genders, usually in the fifth decade of life. Preoperative diagnosis of parathyroid carcinoma is difficult due to a lack of clinical findings, laboratory results, or radiological characteristics specific to the disease. Though, parathyroid carcinoma patients usually present with severe hypercalcemia at the time of diagnosis. Complete en-bloc resection is the mainstay of the treatment. The adjuvant therapy such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy has not shown effective in the treatment of parathyroid carcinoma. © JOURNAL OF THE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION OF THAILAND, 2021.