UVM Medical Center - Facility Exterior

ENT - Main Campus

 (802) 847-8198

111 Colchester Avenue
Main Campus, West Pavilion, Level 4
Burlington, VT 05401-1473

Monday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Have a question?

Our Nurse Navigators and American Cancer Society Patient Navigator are here Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm to answer your questions. Give us a call.

802-847-8400

Parathyroid cancer is a rare cancer that begins in the tissues of a parathyroid gland. The parathyroid glands are four pea-sized organs on the back of your thyroid gland in the neck.

Parathyroid Cancer: What You Need to Know

Teamwork

Parathyroid cancer is best managed by a group of specialists that include endocrinologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, nurses and patient support specialists. Our physicians and other support staff work together as a team, providing expert care.

Personalized Care

Every patient is unique. You and your family will feel the advantages of personalized, patient-centered care. We optimize your treatment to your specific parathyroid cancer diagnosis.

Experienced, Trusted Expertise

Patients facing parathyroid cancer benefit from our close partnership with the University of Vermont Cancer Center, where most of our cancer doctors regularly dedicate part of their time to developing more effective means of discovering and treating cancer. This means that your physician has some of the most up-to-date information, which translates into better care for you and your family.

What is Parathyroid Cancer?

The parathyroid glands make parathyroid hormone (PTH). PTH controls calcium use and storage. Parathyroid cancer can cause hyperparathyroidism, a condition where an overactive parathyroid gland makes too much PTH, but this is rare. More commonly, a noncancerous tumor (called an adenoma) grows on one of the parathyroid glands causing it become overactive. Extra PTH triggers hypercalcemia, which is too much calcium in the blood.

When hyperparathyroidism initiates hypercalcemia it is a serious, life-threatening illness. Treating hypercalcemia is as important as treating the parathyroid cancer itself.

Most parathyroid cancer symptoms are actually hypercalcemia symptoms, including:

  • Weakness
  • Extreme tiredness
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Loss of appetite
  • Weight loss without trying
  • Thirst
  • Frequent urination
  • Constipation
  • Difficulty thinking clearly

Additional parathyroid cancer symptoms include:

  • Abdominal, side or back pain
  • Bone pain
  • A broken bone
  • A lump in the neck
  • Hoarseness or other voice changes
  • Trouble swallowing

Several factors may increase your risk of developing parathyroid cancer, including:

Diagnosis and Treatment: Parathyroid Cancer

UVM Cancer Center's physicians are highly trained in performing procedures to diagnose and treat parathyroid cancer such as chemotherapy and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).

Christopher J. Anker, MD
Radiation Oncology
Maura M. Barry, MD
Hematology
Medical Oncology
Havaleh M. Gagne, MD
Radiation Oncology
Carl J. Nelson, MD
Radiation Oncology

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Cancer Center - Patient Guide