Parathyroid Cancer
Definition
Parathyroid cancer is a rare, slow-growing tumor of a parathyroid gland in the neck.
Description
The four parathyroid glands in the human body are designated as the right superior, right inferior, left superior, and left inferior glands. They usually lay adjacent to the thyroid, but rarely can be found in the upper chest. The parathyroid glands secrete parathyroid hormone, which plays a central role in regulating calcium levels in the blood. In the condition called primary hyperparathyroidism, excess production of parathyroid hormone leads to abnormally high levels of calcium (hypercalcemia). Adenomas, or hyperplasia, of the parathyroid glands are responsible for about 99% of all cases of...
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