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, such as non-cancerous parathyroid tumours, can cause the same symptoms as parathyroid cancer.
Most signs and symptoms of parathyroid cancer are caused by hypercalcemia. They include:
- fatigue
- feeling weak
- nausea and vomiting
- loss of appetite
- weight loss
- feeling thirsty
- urinating more than usual
- constipation
- trouble thinking clearly or confusion
- feeling depressed
- stomach pain (may be caused by an ulcer)
- upper back pain (may be caused by kidney problems, such as kidney stones)
- bone pain
- a lump in the neck
- a hoarse voice
- difficulty swallowing
Hypercalcemia can cause serious health problems if not treated, including:
- thin and weak bones (osteoporosis)
- damage to the kidneys so they stop working (renal failure)
- an abnormal heartbeat (arrhythmia)
- high blood pressure
-
a
coma
Find out more about hypercalcemia and how it’s treated.
Your trusted source for accurate cancer information
With just $5 from readers like you, we can continue to provide the highest quality cancer information for over 100 types of cancer.
We’re here to ensure easy access to accurate cancer information for you and the millions of people who visit this website every year. But we can’t do it alone.
If everyone reading this gave just $5, we could achieve our goal this month to fund reliable cancer information, compassionate support services and the most promising research. Please give today because every contribution counts. Thank you.