Parathyroid carcinoma

Parathyroid carcinoma is an uncommon cause of PTH-dependent hypercalcemia. The collective published experience with this rare neoplasm has provided a distinctive clinical profile that differs in a number of respects from that of benign primary hyperparathyroidism (1-3). The distinguishing features o f parathyroid carcinoma assume even greater prominence when viewed within t he current context of primary hyperparathyroidism, which commonly presents today as a mild asymptomatic disease (4-8). In this report, the clinical fe atures, natural history and prognosis of parathyroid cancer are reviewed. S urgical approaches to parathyroid cancer are outlined as well as medical th erapies of the hypercalcemia that accompanies recurrent or metastatic disea se. As the ultimate prognosis depends to a major extent upon successful res ection of the tumor at the time of the initial operation, major emphasis is placed upon those features of parathyroid carcinoma that help to different iate it from primary hyperparathyroidism due to benign adenomatous or hyper plastic disease.