Parathyroid Cancer

Parathyroid carcinoma is a rare endocrine malignancy derived from the parenchymal cells of the parathyroid glands. It is usually associated with more severe and profound clinical and laboratory manifestations than its more common benign counterparts. Its course is usually indolent but progressive; unlike other malignancies, most patients die because of metabolic complications of parathormone (PTH)-related hypercalcemia rather than tumor invasion and spread. The definitive diagnosis of parathyroid carcinoma may be particularly challenging, since the histology of parathyroid tumors may be equivocal or frankly misleading; for this reason, malignancy is often confirmed on a clinical basis only when local or distant metastases occur. Recent advances in the molecular pathogenesis of the disease will lead to the development of more reliable diagnostic markers.