Parathyroid Cancer
Head and Neck Program
Treatment Option Overview
How parathyroid cancer is treated
There are treatments for all patients with parathyroidcancer. Medical treatment to lower high blood levels of calcium caused by the disease is very important for all patients. In addition, three kinds of
treatment are used:
Surgery (taking out the cancer).
Radiation therapy (using high-dosex-rays or other high-energy rays to
kill cancer cells).
Chemotherapy (using anticancer drugs).
Surgery is the most effective treatment for parathyroid cancer. A doctor may
remove the parathyroid gland (parathyroidectomy) and the half of the thyroid on
the same side as the cancer (ipsilateralthyroidectomy).
Nearby muscles, tissues and nerves may also be removed to prevent the cancer from spreading.
Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink
tumors.Radiation may come from a machine outside the body (external radiation
therapy) or from putting materials that produce radiation (radioisotopes)
through thin plastic tubes in the area where the cancer cells are found
(internal radiation therapy).
Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be
taken by pill, or it may be put into the body by a needle in the vein or
muscle. Chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the drug enters
the bloodstream, travels through the body, and can kill cancer cells outside
the parathyroid gland.
Treatment by stage
Treatment for parathyroid cancer depends on the type and stage of the disease
and the patient’s age and overall health.