Because of the difficulty in making a histologic diagnosis, the appearance of recurrent or metastatic disease in a patient previously operated on for hypercalcemia can be the first indicator that the tumor was malignant. Approximately half of all patients who experience recurrence will have distant metastases. Retrospective series have shown that some patients experience a long survival even after the diagnosis of distant metastases. Medical management of hypercalcemia. Surgery plus radiation therapy.
Anecdotal reports show that short-term remissions with chemotherapy are possible.
Clinical course of metastatic parathyroid cancer. ReMine WH, et al. Cancer of the parathyroid glands. Sandelin K, Auer G, Bondeson L, et al. Disodium pamidronate in the preoperative treatment of hypercalcemia in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism.