| | Parathyroid cancer is very rare, occurring in one case of every 1,000 patients with hyperparathyroidism, an overactivity of the parathyroid glands, resulting in the overproduction of parathyroid hormone.
Patients with hyperparathyroidism often develop tumors in the parathyroid glands. Non-cancerous tumors are called adenomas. Normally, patients with hyperparathyroidism have high levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH), but those who develop tumors release even higher levels of the substance. Cancerous tumors produce higher levels of PTH than benign growths.
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