title: Case report: long-term remission of parathyroid cancer: possible relation to vitamin D and calcitriol therapy.
abstract: Recurrence of surgically treated parathyroid cancer occurs in 30% to 65% of patients and has a poor prognosis; only 1 of 29 cases remained normocalcemic more than 2 years later. No medical attempts to prevent recurrence have been reported. A 24-year-old pregnant woman whose mother died of parathyroid cancer underwent apparently successful surgery for parathyroid cancer. Serum Ca and parathyroid hormone (PTH) returned to normal levels but 3 months after surgery, although normocalcemic, the serum PTH level was elevated. The administration of vitamin D 200,000 U/month or calcitriol 0.5 microgram daily and 1 g of Ca supplementation daily, resulted in the normalization of PTH during 81 months of follow-up. On three occasions, when vitamin D or calcitriol were omitted, serum intact, C-terminal, or mid-molecule PTH levels rose. Ionized and total serum Ca, creatinine, calcitriol and calcidiol levels were normal, and multiple ultrasounds of the neck remained negative after surgery. This observation suggests that serum PTH could be an early marker for the detection of recurrence in parathyroid cancer with normal serum Ca, and that suppression of PTH secretion by vitamin D or calcitriol could avert or delay the progression of recurrence. Additional trials with calcitriol in operated normocalcemic parathyroid cancer with an elevated serum PTH level is recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Tennessee at Memphis 38163.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palmieri-Sevier
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Palmieri
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Baumgartner
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Britt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D010282:Parathyroid Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011252:Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D012074:Remission Induction; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D014807:Vitamin D; D002117:Calcitriol