Signs and symptoms of parathyroid cancer
Signs and symptoms of parathyroid cancer often appear when one or more of the parathyroid glands become overactive and make too much parathyroid hormone (PTH). This is called hyperparathyroidism. It causes too much calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia).
Other health conditions can cause the same symptoms as parathyroid cancer. Most of the time, these symptoms are caused by a non-cancerous tumour or condition such as parathyroid adenoma or parathyroid hyperplasia.
Most signs and symptoms of parathyroid cancer are caused by hypercalcemia. They include:
- nausea and vomiting
- loss of appetite
- constipation
- fatigue
- increased thirst
- having to pee (urinate) more often
- pain in your abdomen
- dehydration
- kidney stones
- difficulty thinking clearly or confusion
- thin and weak bones (osteoporosis)
Find out more about hypercalcemia and how it’s treated.
Your doctor may suspect parathyroid cancer if you have both of the following:
- levels of calcium in the blood greater than 3 mmol/L
- a very high level of PTH (primary hyperparathyroidism)
Symptoms that need urgent treatment
In some cases, hypercalcemia can cause serious problems. These cancer-related emergencies need to be treated right away:
- damage to the kidneys so they stop working (renal failure)
- an abnormal heartbeat (arrhythmia)
-
mental changes, confusion, severe fatigue or
coma
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