Cancer

The most common form of parathyroid disease is due to a parathyroid adenoma, or tumor. Tumor can bring to mind thoughts of cancer, but in the case of parathyroid disease, the tumors are almost always benign.

I've just been told that I have a parathyroid tumor. Cancer runs in my family. Could this tumor be cancerous?

Parathyroid cancer is extremely rare. It does exist, but it is so uncommon that most doctors will never see it. Nearly all parathyroid tumors are benign, even if cancer runs in your family or if you have had cancer in the past. The treatment for both benign parathyroid tumors and cancerous parathyroid tumors is parathyroidectomy, removal of the diseased parathyroid. Although parathyroid tum...