Update on parathyroid carcinoma

Detection and identification of circulating tumor cells in parathyroid tumors and correlation analysis with clinicopathological features

INTRODUCTION

The differential diagnosis of parathyroid carcinoma (PC)/parathyroid adenoma (PA) in parathyroid tumors is critical for their management and prognosis. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) identification in the peripheral blood of parathyroid tumors remains unknown. In this study, we proposed to investigate the differences of CTCs in PC/PA and the relationship with clinicopathologic features to assess its relevance to PC and value in identifying PC/PA.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Peripheral blood was collected from 27 patients with PC and 37 patients with PA treated in our hospital, and the number of chromosome 8 aberrant CTCs was detected by negative magnetic bead sorting fluorescence in situ hybridization (NE-FISH). The differences of CTCs in PC/PA peripheral blood were compared and their diagnostic efficacy was evaluated, and the correlation between CTCs and clinicopathological features of PC was further explored.

RESULTS

CTCs differed significantly in PC/PA (p = 0.0008) and were up-regulated in PC, with good diagnostic efficacy. CTCs combined with alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assay improved the diagnostic efficacy in identifying PC/PA (AUC = 0.7838, p = 0.0001). The number of CTCs was correlated with tumor dimensions, but not significantly correlated with clinical markers such as calcium and PTH and pathological features such as vascular invasion, lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis.

CONCLUSION

As a non-invasive liquid biopsy method, CTCs test combined with ALP test can be used as an important reference basis for timely and accurate identification and treatment of PC. It is of great significance to improve the current situation of PC diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.

Incidental synchronous intrathyroidal parathyroid carcinomas and papillary thyroid microcarcinoma with compressive neck mass and primary hyperparathyroidism: case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is a rare malignancy, often diagnosed incidentally through postoperative pathological examination. The occurrence of nodular goiter, intrathyroidal parathyroid carcinoma, contralateral parathyroid adenoma (PA), and papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) is extremely uncommon, which prompted us to report our case experience.

CASE PRESENTATION

We describe a 67-year-old male who presented with a cervical mass causing tracheal compression, which prompted him to seek medical advice. Based on preoperative auxiliary examination results from color Doppler ultrasound, SPECT parathyroid imaging, and blood tests, he was initially diagnosed with a suspected parathyroid adenoma and nodular goiter. Excision of the right lobe and isthmus of the thyroid, and left superior parathyroid gland was conducted, which were sent to intraoperative frozen pathological examination. During intraoperative observation, adhesion around the right thyroid lobe was discovered. Consequently, right central area lymph node dissection was performed due to suspicion of an aggressive malignant tumor. Histology and immunohistochemistry analysis revealed incidental intrathyroidal parathyroid carcinoma, contralateral parathyroid adenoma, classical papillary thyroid microcarcinoma, and nodular goiter.

CONCLUSION

Parathyroid carcinoma should be highly suspected when extremely high levels of PTH and severe hypercalcemia are present, which cannot be simply explained by a preoperatively localized parathyroid adenoma, especially when suspicious malignant adhesion is found during intraoperative exploration. In cases where multifocal thyroid nodules are associated with increased uptake of 99Tc-sestamibi, the possibility of coexisting carcinomas should be considered, not only for thyroid malignancy but also for the potential presence of intrathyroidal parathyroid carcinoma.

Long-term survival in a patient with metastatic parathyroid carcinoma harboring an EGFR sensitizing mutation: a case report

Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is a rare and aggressive endocrine malignancy with limited treatment options. Current treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy have demonstrated limited efficacy. Here, we report the case of a male patient who presented with symptoms including polydipsia, polyuria, and joint pain. Further examination revealed a neck lump, hypercalcemia, and hyperparathyroidism, leading to a diagnosis of PC after en bloc surgery. Seven months later, the patient developed local recurrence and lung metastases, which were resected via left lateral neck dissection and thoracoscopic wedge resection. A 422-gene panel test revealed the presence of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) p.L858R (c. T2573G) mutation, which may sensitize the EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor response, and phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase, catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA) p.E545KV (c. G1633A) mutation. After multidisciplinary treatment discussions, the patient was treated with the multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor, anlotinib, resulting in survival benefits for 19 months. This case highlights the potential of targeted therapy in terms of long-term survival in patients with distant metastatic PC, as well as the importance of precision therapy guided by genome sequencing to identify potential therapeutic targets.

Differentiating Brown Tumor From Bone Metastasis in Parathyroid Cancer Using 18 F-FDG PET and 99m Tc-MIBI SPECT

ABSTRACT

A 69-year-old woman presented with a right clavicle pain. CT revealed a pathological fracture of the right clavicle, multiple osteolytic lesions, and a left cervical mass. 18 F-FDG PET/CT demonstrated a marked FDG uptake in the cervical mass and osteolytic lesions indicative of metastatic parathyroid cancer. 99m Tc-MIBI SPECT/CT revealed either faint or no uptake in the osteolytic lesions. However, a histopathological analysis after a parathyroidectomy and right clavicle biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of parathyroid cancer and the presence of benign brown tumors secondary to hyperparathyroidism. Postoperative imaging showed sclerotic change and a decreased FDG uptake in the bone lesions.

Approach to the Patient With Parathyroid Carcinoma

Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is usually associated with severe symptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and accounts for less than 1% of all cases of PHPT and approximately 0.005% of all cancers. PC most commonly occurs as a sporadic disease and somatic CDC73 mutations can be detected in up to 80% of cases. Approximately 30% of patients harbor a germline mutation of the CDC73 gene. Preoperative diagnosis of PC is difficult because no disease-specific markers are available, and PC should be suspected in patients with severe hypercalcemia and end-organ complications. The diagnosis is based on the evidence of invasive tumor growth at histology and/or metastases. En bloc resection of the tumor, together with the ipsilateral thyroid lobe and adjacent structures, should be performed by an experienced surgeon when PC is suspected. This surgical approach reduces the risk of recurrence and metastasis and offers the highest chance of cure. Nonetheless, PC has a recurrence rate of 40% to 60% and, if feasible, multiple surgical procedures should be performed. When surgery is no longer an option, medical treatment is aimed to reduce hypercalcemia and target organ complications. Targeted agents have been effectively used in a few cases. We describe herein a patient with severe PHPT due to PC and provide a systematic diagnostic and treatment approach. A thorough review of the medical history, a typical clinical and biochemical phenotype and, in some cases, the revision of the histological examination provide the clues for the diagnosis of PC.

Comparison of prognosis after partial and total surgical resection for parathyroid carcinoma: an inverse probability of treatment weighting analysis of the SEER database

Background

Complete resection of the tumor and the ipsilateral thyroid lobe at the primary surgery is the "gold standard" for the treatment of parathyroid carcinoma (PC). However, differences in the overall survival (OS) of patients with PC who underwent partial and total surgical resection remain to be determined.

Methods

Data on patients with PC who underwent partial and total surgical resection were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database (2000-2018). The X-tile software (https://medicine.yale.edu/lab/rimm/research/software/) was used to define the optimal cut-off values for continuous variables. The inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) method was used to reduce the selection bias. IPTW-adjusted Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare the OS of patients with PC in the partial and total surgical resection groups.

Results

A total of 334 patients with PC were included in this study (183 and 151 in the partial and total surgical resection groups, respectively). The optimal cut-off values for age at diagnosis were 53 and 73 years, respectively, while that for tumor size was 34 mm. In both the Kaplan-Meier analysis and univariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis before IPTW, the difference in OS between the partial and total surgical resection groups was not statistically significant (p>0.05). These findings were confirmed in the IPTW-adjusted Kaplan-Meier analysis and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis (p>0.05). Subgroup analysis revealed that total surgical resection was beneficial for OS only in the subgroup with unknown tumor size.

Conclusion

There was no significant difference in the prognosis of patients who underwent partial and total surgical resection. This finding may provide a useful reference for the treatment of PC.

A nomogram for predicting overall survival in patients with parathyroid cancer: A novel web-based calculator

BACKGROUND

Parathyroid carcinoma is a rare endocrine malignancy. Considering that clinicians develop appropriate treatment strategies based on patients' survival expectations. Therefore, the present study aimed to develop a survival prediction model to guide clinical decision-making.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 362 parathyroid carcinoma patients diaagnosed in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database between 2004 and 2015. Correlations between outcome events and variables were analyzed using univariate and multifactorial Cox regression, and variables screened by the multifactorial Cox risk proportional model were used to construct a survival prediction model. The model was evaluated using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves, decision curve analysis (DCA), and C-index and calibration curves.

RESULTS

Univariate and multifactorial COX analyses revealed five independent prognostic factors for parathyroid carcinoma patients, which were subsequently used to develop the nomogram prediction model. In the training cohort, the C-index of the nomogram in predicting the overall survival (OS) was 0.747 (0.686-0.808), the area under the receiver operator characteristics curve(AUC)values of the nomogram in prediction of the 3, 5, and 10-year OS were 0.718 (0617-0.819), 0.711 (0.614-0.808) and 0.706 (0.610-0.803), respectively. In the validation cohort, the C-index was 0.740 (0.645-0.835), The AUC for 3, 5, and 10-years OS were 0.736 (0.584-0888), 0.698 (0.551-0.845) and 0.767 (0.647-0.887), respectively. The C-index, time-dependent ROC curve, calibration curve, and DCA showed that the Nomogram had a clear advantage.

CONCLUSION

The developed nomogram can be applied in clinical practice to help clinicians to assess patient prognosis.

Parathyroid Retrospective Analysis of Neoplasms Incidence (pTRANI Study): An Italian Multicenter Study on Parathyroid Carcinoma and Atypical Parathyroid Tumour

BACKGROUND

Parathyroid cancer (PC) is a rare sporadic or hereditary malignancy whose histologic features were redefined with the 2022 WHO classification. A total of 24 Italian institutions designed this multicenter study to specify PC incidence, describe its clinical, functional, and imaging characteristics and improve its differentiation from the atypical parathyroid tumour (APT).

METHODS

All relevant information was collected about PC and APT patients treated between 2009 and 2021.

RESULTS

Among 8361 parathyroidectomies, 351 patients (mean age 59.0 ± 14.5; F = 210, 59.8%) were divided into the APT (n = 226, 2.8%) and PC group (n = 125, 1.5%). PC showed significantly higher rates (p < 0.05) of bone involvement, abdominal, and neurological symptoms than APT (48.8% vs. 35.0%, 17.6% vs. 7.1%, 13.6% vs. 5.3%, respectively). Ultrasound (US) diameter >3 cm (30.9% vs. 19.3%, p = 0.049) was significantly more common in the PC. A significantly higher frequency of local recurrences was observed in the PC (8.0% vs. 2.7%, p = 0.022). Mortality due to consequences of cancer or uncontrolled hyperparathyroidism was 3.3%.

CONCLUSIONS

Symptomatic hyperparathyroidism, high PTH and albumin-corrected serum calcium values, and a US diameter >3 cm may be considered features differentiating PC from APT. 2022 WHO criteria did not impact the diagnosis.

Mediastinal parathyroid carcinoma: a case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is an uncommon cause of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and particularly rare in the mediastinum. Herein, we present a case of mediastinal PC and conduct a related literature review.

CASE PRESENTATION

We described a case of a 50-year-old female patient with PHPT due to mediastinal PC. She was initially admitted to a local hospital in her hometown with hypercalcemia and high blood concentrations of PTH (parathyroid hormone). The patient underwent neck parathyroidectomy and pathological examination suggested parathyroid adenoma. Although the overproduction of serum calcium and PTH declined after the surgery, calcium and PTH increased again one month later, so the patient was transferred to our hospital. A 99^mTc-sestamibi scan revealed an ectopic finding in the mediastinum, which was also indicated on the CT image. After removing the mediastinal mass, the metabolism of calcium and PTH quickly reverted to normal and the pathologic features of the mass were consistent with PC. By reviewing the related literature, we noticed that only scattered reports were published before 1982, and those were not included in the present review due to their differences with current radiological examination and treatment methods. After excluding outdated studies, we summarized and analyzed 20 reports of isolated mediastinal PC and concluded that. Parathyroidectomy remains the only curative treatment for the disease. Furthermore, the success of treatment directly depends on accurate preoperative localization.

CONCLUSION

With this study, we emphasize the importance of accurate preoperative diagnosis of mediastinal PC and improve clinicians' understanding of the disease.

Recurrence and mortality rate in an Italian multi-center case series of parathyroid atypical adenomas and carcinomas

Introduction

There are few data regarding the clinical outcome of patients with parathyroid carcinoma (PC) and atypical adenoma (AA) after surgery. Aim of our study was to investigate disease recurrence and mortality rate as well as their predictors in a series of patients with PC or AA.

Methods

Clinical and biochemical parameters, histological features, incidence of disease recurrence and mortality rate were retrospectively assessed in 39 patients (51% males, mean age 56.2 ± 17.2 years) diagnosed with PC (n=24) or AA (n=15) and followed up for 6.8 ± 5.0 years after surgery.

Results

No differences in baseline characteristics were registered between the two groups, except for higher KI67 values in PC than AA (6.9 ± 3.9% vs 3.4 ± 2.1%, p<0.01). Eight patients (21%) experienced recurrence after a mean follow-up of 5.1 ± 2.7 years, with higher relapse rate in PC than AA (25% vs 13%), though this difference did not reach statistical significance. Mortality rate was 10% in the whole sample, without significant differences between PC and AA. Relapsing cases had been undergone the most extensive surgery more frequently and they had a higher mortality rate in comparison to non relapsing patients (38% vs 6% and 38% vs 3%, respectively, p<0.03 for both). In comparison to survivors, deceased patients were submitted to the most extensive surgery more frequently (50% vs 9%), they were older (74.8 ± 4.6 vs 53.2 ± 16.3 years), and they had higher KI67 values (11.7 ± 4.9 vs 4.8 ± 2.8, p<0.03 for all comparisons).

Conclusions

During seven-year follow-up after surgery, no significant differences in recurrence and mortality rate were observed between PC and AA patients. Death was associated with disease relapse, older age and higher KI67 values. These findings suggest a similar and careful long-term follow-up in both parathyroid tumors, especially in older patients, and emphasize the need of further studies in large cohorts to throw light on this crucial clinical issue.

Parathyroid Carcinoma: Update on Pathogenesis and Therapy

Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is a very rare endocrine cancer with aggressive behavior, a high metastatic potential, and a poor prognosis. Surgical resection of affected gland(s) and other involved structures is the elective therapy. Pre-operative and intra-operative differential diagnosis with benign parathyroid adenoma remains a challenge. The lack of a clear pre-operative diagnosis does not allow one, in many cases, to choose the correct surgical approach to malignant PC, increasing persistence, the recurrence rate, and the risk of metastases. An initial wrong diagnosis of parathyroid adenoma, with a minimally invasive parathyroidectomy, is associated with over 50% occurrence of metastases after surgery. Genetic testing could help in identifying patients at risk of congenital PC (i.e., CDC73 gene) and in driving the choice of neck surgery extension. Targeted effective treatments, other than surgery, for advanced and metastatic PC are needed. The pathogenesis of malignant parathyroid carcinogenesis is still largely unknown. In the last few years, advanced molecular techniques allowed researchers to identify various genetic abnormalities and epigenetic features characterizing PC, which could be crucial for selecting molecular targets and developing novel targeted therapeutic agents. We reviewed current findings in PC genetics, epigenetics, and proteomics and state-of-the-art therapies.

Clinical and genetic analysis of atypical parathyroid adenoma compared with parathyroid carcinoma and benign lesions in a Chinese cohort

CONTEXT

The malignant potential and molecular signature of atypical parathyroid adenoma (APA) remain elusive. Data from Asia are still lacking.

DESIGN AND SETTING

This was a retrospective study on a large APA cohort in a single center from mainland China.

METHODS

A total of 320 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), containing 79 APA, 79 Parathyroid cancer (PC) and 162 benign lesions cases, were enrolled after surgery for collection of clinical data and genetic analysis.

RESULTS

APA patients showed earlier mean onset age than benign group (46.9 ± 17.1 vs. 52.0 ± 14.3 yrs). Less bone involvement and gastrointestinal symptoms were presented in APA compared to PC (35.4% vs. 62.0%, and 17.7% vs. 41.8%), while more urolithiasis was seen in APA than in benign lesions (57.0% vs. 29.6%). The APA group had moderate hypercalcemia (mean 3.02 ± 0.44mmol/L) with elevated serum PTH (median 593.0pg/ml) and proportion of hypercalcemic crisis as 22.8%, all higher than those of benign lesions but lower than those of PC group. The recurrence/no remission rate of the APA group was significantly lower than that of the PC and similar to the benign group (5.1% vs. 31.6% vs. 3.1%). Germline CDC73 mutation was the most common molecular abnormality in both PC and APA subjects. APA patients with nonsynonymous germline variants showed earlier onset age (28.5 ± 16.9 vs. 48.1 ± 17.7 yrs) and more cases developing no remission/recurrence (25.0% vs. 0.0%).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with APA presented clinical and biochemical characteristics much less severe than PC and resembling the benign neoplasms, with a relatively good prognosis. Germline gene variations were associated with earlier onset and probably more recurrence of PHPT in APA.

Advances and Updates in Parathyroid Pathology

Hyperparathyroidism is a common endocrine disorder characterized by elevated levels of parathyroid hormone and hypercalcemia and is divided into 3 types: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Distinction between these types is accomplished by correlation of clinical, radiologic, and laboratory findings with pathologic features. Primary hyperparathyroidism occurs sporadically in 85% of cases with the remaining cases associated with multiple familial syndromes. The pathologic manifestations of primary hyperparathyroidism include parathyroid adenoma, parathyroid hyperplasia, and parathyroid carcinoma. Recent advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis of parathyroid disease has helped to refine the diagnosis and classification of parathyroid lesions. The identification of multiple clonal proliferations in traditional multiglandular parathyroid hyperplasia has led to the adoption by the World Health Organization (WHO) of the alternate term of primary hyperparathyroidism-related multiglandular parathyroid disease. Additional nomenclature changes include the adoption of the term atypical parathyroid tumor in lieu of atypical parathyroid adenoma to reflect the uncertain malignant potential of these neoplasms. Clinical and morphologic features characteristic of familial disease have been described that can help the practicing pathologist identify underlying familial disease and provide appropriate management. Use of ancillary immunohistochemistry and molecular studies can be helpful in classifying parathyroid neoplasms. Parafibromin has proven useful as a diagnostic and prognostic marker in atypical parathyroid tumors and parathyroid carcinomas. This review provides an update on the diagnosis and classification of parathyroid lesions considering the recent advances in the understanding of the molecular and clinical features of parathyroid disease and highlights the use of ancillary studies (immunohistochemical, and molecular) to refine the diagnosis of parathyroid lesions.

Value of 99m Tc-MIBI SPECT/CT in the localization of recurrent lesions in patients with suspected recurrent parathyroid carcinoma

PURPOSE

Accurate preoperative localization of tumor-bearing lesions is crucial for the successful surgical management of suspected recurrent parathyroid carcinoma. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of 99m-technetium-labeled methoxyisobutylisonitrile ( 99m Tc-MIBI) single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) and cervical ultrasound, individually and in combination, for preoperative localization of recurrent/metastatic lesions. We also analyzed the value of 99m Tc-MIBI SPECT/CT in detecting ectopic lesions in patients with suspected recurrent parathyroid carcinoma.

METHODS

Twenty-nine patients with suspected recurrent parathyroid carcinoma were included in this retrospective cohort study. Patients underwent preoperative 99m Tc-MIBI SPECT/CT and cervical ultrasound. The reference standard was postsurgical histopathology. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value, and accuracy of the two diagnostic modalities alone and in combination were analyzed.

RESULTS

Of the 29 patients, histopathological results revealed 48 metastases/recurrent lesions in 26 patients. The diagnostic value of 99m Tc-MIBI SPECT/CT, cervical ultrasound, and the two modalities in combination were compared for the 27 patients who underwent new cervical surgery. Patient-level analysis of the combined use of 99m Tc-MIBI SPECT/CT and cervical ultrasound had the highest sensitivity (100.00%) and accuracy (96.30%). At the lesion level, 99m Tc-MIBI SPECT/CT had the highest specificity and PPV, at 100.00% respectively, whereas the combined use of 99m Tc-MIBI SPECT/CT and cervical ultrasound had the highest sensitivity, at 97.62%. Moreover, 99m Tc-MIBI SPECT/CT detected six ectopic lesions, and five of them showed increased 99m Tc-MIBI uptake.

CONCLUSIONS

The combined use of 99m Tc-MIBI SPECT/CT and cervical ultrasound is the most efficient strategy in the diagnosis of parathyroid carcinoma relapse, whereas 99m Tc-MIBI SPECT/CT is the preferred method for localizing and analyzing cervical and extra-cervical lesions before the new surgery.

Parathyroid Carcinoma: A National Cancer Database Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Parathyroid carcinoma is a rare diagnosis. The association of clinical and pathologic factors as well as treatment on overall survival (OS) is not well established.

METHODS

A retrospective review of patients with parathyroid carcinoma was performed using the National Cancer Database for patients diagnosed from 2004 through 2017. Clinical and demographic variables were assessed. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess for factors associated with survival. OS rates were determined for 5 and 10 y.

RESULTS

Data for 1057 patients were analyzed. The mean age at diagnosis was 57.5 y (standard deviation [SD] 14.0), and 542 (51.3%) were male. The median tumor size was 2.7 cm (interquartile range 2.0-3.7 cm). For the extent of surgery, 38 (3.6%) had no surgery, 568 (53.7%) had incomplete resection, 359 (34.0%) had complete resection, 58 (5.5%) had radical resection, and 34 (3.2%) did not have specified and were not used in the Cox proportional hazard regression model. For the cohort, 488 (46.2%) had lymph nodes resected with a mean of 5.5 (SD 6.6) removed. Of these, 32 (8.3%) had nodal metastases with one to six positive nodes. For adjuvant therapy, 159 (15.0%) had external beam radiation with a mean dose of 5463 cGy (SD 1464). Overall, 214 patients died (21.55%), and the estimated 5- and 10-y OS were 82.9% and 57.0%, respectively. In a Cox proportional hazard regression model, age at diagnosis as a continuous variable with hazard ratio (HR) 1.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.06, P = 0.003, and extent of surgery as a categorical variable with no surgery as the referent group: incomplete surgery HR 0.05, 95% CI 0.01-0.19, P < 0.001; complete surgery HR 0.04, 95% CI 0.01-0.19, P < 0.001; radical surgery HR 0.10, 95% CI 0.02-0.45, P < 0.001; and tumor size as a continuous variable was not associated with OS with an HR of 1.00, 95% CI 0.99-1.00, P = 0.738.

CONCLUSIONS

Patient age and extent of surgery are modestly associated with survival for parathyroid carcinoma but not patient sex, nodal metastases, or adjuvant therapy in this cohort.

Clinicopathological Profile of Primary Hyperparathyroidism with Special Reference to Ki-67 Labelling Index

Context

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) can occur due to a neoplastic process or hyperplasia. While the disease presentation is predominantly asymptomatic in developed countries, this is not the case yet in India. Differentiation of the type of lesion can only be done based on histomorphology but has its own challenges. Immunohistochemical markers like Ki-67 have been studied to aid in diagnosis but data on this is sparse from India.

Aims

The aim of this study is to assess the clinical, biochemical and pathological profile of PHPT and to analyse the differences in immunohistochemical marker Ki-67 among the various lesions.

Setting and Design

A descriptive study was carried out on 38 PHPT patients who were treated at our institute from January 2011 to March 2021.

Materials and Methods

Post-surgery, the causative lesions were categorised as adenoma (31), hyperplasia (5) and carcinoma (2). Clinical, biochemical, radiological and histopathological features of all lesions were collected and analysed. Ki-67 proliferation index was calculated. The various parameters were compared across the three groups of lesions and correlated with Ki-67 index.

Results

Out of 38 patients, 37 were symptomatic with skeletal symptoms being the most common followed by renal symptoms. There was no difference in clinical or biochemical parameters among the three types of lesions. Significant negative correlation was seen between serum iPTH and serum 25-OH Vitamin D levels (P0.006) The median Ki-67 index was found to be 0.40% in hyperplasia, 0.49% in adenoma and 5.84% in carcinoma.

Conclusion

PHPT still presents as an overtly symptomatic disease in India. Diagnosis of the nature of lesion depends on the accurate application of morphological criteria. A high Ki-67 index was not found to be an absolute marker of carcinoma, as it was also seen in a small proportion of atypical adenomas.

Margin Free Resection Achieves Excellent Long Term Outcomes in Parathyroid Cancer

Long-term outcomes of parathyroid cancer remain poorly documented and unsatisfactory. This cohort includes 25 consecutive parathyroid cancer patients with median follow-up of 10.7 years (range 4.1−26.5 years). Pre-operative work-up in the center identified a suspicion of parathyroid cancer in 17 patients. En bloc resection, including the recurrent laryngeal nerve in 4/17 (23.5%), achieved cancer-free resection margins (R0) in 82.4% and lasting loco-regional disease control in 94.1%. Including patients referred after initial surgery elsewhere, R0 resection was achieved in merely 17/25 (68.0%) of patients. Cancer-positive margins (R1) in 8 patients led to local recurrence in 50%. On multivariate analysis, only margin status prevailed as independent predictor of recurrence free survival (χ2 19.5, p < 0.001). Local excision alone carried a 3.5-fold higher risk of positive margins than en bloc resection (CI95: 1.1−11.3; p = 0.03), and a 6.4-fold higher risk of locoregional recurrence (CI95: 0.8−52.1; p = 0.08). R1-status was associated with an 18.0-fold higher risk of recurrence and redo surgery (CI95: 1.1−299.0; p = 0.04), and a 22.0-fold higher probability of radiation (CI95: 1.4−355.5; p = 0.03). In patients at risk, adjuvant radiation reduced the actuarial risk of locoregional recurrence (p = 0.05). When pre-operative scrutiny resulted in upfront oncological surgery achieving cancer free margins, it afforded 100% recurrence free survival at 5- and 10-year follow-up, whilst failure to achieve clear margins caused significant burden by outpatient admissions (176 vs. 4 days; χ2 980, p < 0.001) and exposure to causes for concern (1369 vs. 0 days; χ2 11.3, p = 0.003). Although limited by cohort size, our study emphasizes the paradigm of getting it right the first time as key to improve survivorship in a cancer with excellent long-term prognosis.

Updates of Genomics and Proteomics of Parathyroid Carcinoma

Parathyroid carcinoma is a rare disease that needs an additional diagnostic tool and wide therapeutic options. The genomics and proteomics approach may help to find the tools to improve the prognosis of the disease by early detection and metastatic control. The findings from genomics were mainly CDC73, PRUNE2, CCND1, and genes related to PI3K/AKT/mTOR and Wnt pathways. CDC73, PRUNE2, and CCND1 were closely related to each other, and PRUNE2 and CCND1 genes are related to expression levels of parafibromin protein, which may aid in supporting the definite diagnosis of the disease. PI3K/AKT/mTOR and Wnt pathways could be a potential therapeutic target for the disease, which needs further basket trials to prove the concept. In this review, current findings from genomics and proteomics studies in parathyroid carcinoma were reviewed.

Treatment and outcome of metastatic parathyroid carcinoma: A systematic review and pooled analysis of published cases

Background

Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is an extremely rare malignant tumor with an incidence of about 6 new cases per 10 million inhabitants per year. While several papers have been published on treatments and outcomes of PC patients with loco-regional disease, little is known about the prognosis, treatment strategies, and prognostic factors of patients with distant metastasis.

Materials and methods

We performed a systematic review and a pooled analysis of histopathologically confirmed PC cases published in literature using the following keywords: “metastasis–metastatic–secondary nodes” AND “parathyroid carcinoma”. Original case reports and case series reporting metastatic parathyroid carcinoma were included. Data from 58 articles were extracted in a piloted form by five reviewers on a shared database.

Results

Seventy-nine patients with metastatic PC were identified between 1898 and 2018. Ten (13%) patients had synchronous metastases, while metachronous metastases occurred in 43 (54%) patients. The remaining 26 patients developed metastatic disease concomitantly to local recurrence. Primary hyperparathyroidism guided the diagnosis of metastatic recurrence in 58 (73%) patients. Surgery was the main primary approach adopted, as it was performed in 43 (54%) patients. Twenty (25%) patients underwent systemic antineoplastic therapy, consisting of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and hexestrol therapy. Bone resorption inhibitors had a limited efficacy in the long-term control of hypercalcemia. After a median follow-up of 37.5 months, 43 (55%) patients died, 22 (51%) due to the consequences of uncontrolled PHPT. The median overall survival was 36 months (range: 1–252). Surgery was associated with a better OS (HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.26–0.88), whereas bone metastases represented a negative prognostic factor (HR 2.7, 95% CI 1.4–5.2).

Conclusion

Metastatic PC has a relatively poor prognosis. The main goals of treatment are to counteract tumor growth and control hypercalcemia. Surgery of metastases is the best approach to achieve rapid control of PHPT and longer survival. Target therapies and immunotherapy deserve to be extensively tested in metastatic PC and strategies to better control hypercalcemia should be implemented.

Association of Parathyroid and Differentiated Thyroid Carcinomas: A Narrative Up-To-Date Review of the Literature

Aim: Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is a rare endocrine malignancy that represents 0.005% of all malignant tumors. Associated PC and differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) is an exceptionally rare condition, and the preoperative diagnostics and proper treatment are challenging. Almost all PCs and the majority of DTCs are diagnosed postoperatively, making correct surgical treatment questionable. Specific guidelines for parathyroid and thyroid carcinomas association treatment are lacking. The purposes of our study were to identify the association between parathyroid and thyroid carcinomas, to analyze the available published data, and to evaluate the possible relationship between preoperative diagnostic and surgical decision-making, and outcome-related issues. Material and methods: We performed a literature review of several databases from the earliest records to March 2022, using controlled vocabulary and keywords to search for records on the topic of PC and WDTC pathological association. The reference lists from the initially identified articles were analyzed to obtain more references. Results: We identified 25 cases of PC and DTC association, 14 more than the latest review from 2021. The mean age of patients was 55, with a female to male ratio of about 3:1. Exposure to external radiation was identified in only one patient, although it is considered a risk factor the development of both PC and DTC. The preoperative suspicion of PC was stated by the authors in only 25% of cases, but suspicion based on clinical, laboratory, ultrasound (US), and fine needle aspiration (FNA) criteria could have been justified in more than 50% of them. With neck ultrasound, 40% of patients presented suspicious features both for PC and thyroid carcinoma. Intra-operatory descriptions of the lesions revealed the highest suspicion (83.3%) of PC, but en bloc resection was recommended and probably performed in only about 50% of the cases. Histopathological examinations of the thyroid revealed different forms of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in most cases. Postoperative normocalcemia was achieved in 72% of patients, but follow-up data was missing in about 25% of cases. Conclusion: Associated PC and DTC is an exceptionally rare condition, and the preoperative diagnostic and treatment of the patients is a challenge. However, in most cases pre- and intraoperative suspicious features are present for identification by a highly specialized multidisciplinary endocrine team, who can thus perform the optimal treatment to achieve curability.

Tumor size rather than the thyroid invasion affects the prognosis of parathyroid carcinoma without lymph node or distant metastasis

PURPOSE

This study aimed to explore the prognostic value of thyroid invasion of parathyroid carcinoma without lymph node or distant metastasis.

METHODS

Two hundred and nine cases of parathyroid carcinoma from the SEER (1989-2014) were eligible for this study. A Chi-squared test, t test, X-tile, Kaplan-Meier curves, and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression were used for analysis.

RESULTS

Thyroid invasion, sex, race, age, radiation, and surgery were not significantly associated with cancer-specific survival by multivariate analysis. However, tumor size ≥ 4 cm was significantly associated with worse cancer-specific survival (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Thyroid invasion, which was the criterion for T₁ and T₂ staging criteria of parathyroid carcinoma according to the AJCC, did not affect the prognosis of patients with parathyroid carcinoma without local lymph node or distant metastasis. Our study indicates that a tumor size ≥ 4 cm may be an appropriate indicator of T₁ and T₂ cancer staging.

Mortality factors in recurrent parathyroid cancer: a pooled analysis

INTRODUCTION

Parathyroid cancer is a rare disease with high recurrence rate. The prognostic factors for recurrent parathyroid cancer are yet to be ascertained. We aimed to establish the association between recurrent parathyroid cancer and previously reported prognostic factors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a PubMed search using the keywords 'parathyroid cancer', 'parathyroid neoplasm', and 'hypercalcemia' during 1966-2019 and included 3272 articles. We focused on 73 patients with recurrent parathyroid cancer from 55 studies. We conducted a survival analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model with 95% confidence interval.

RESULTS

For the 73 patients included in the analysis, the mean age (± standard deviation) was 44 ± 13.2 years, wherein 36 patients were women (49.3%). During the 5236 person-months at risk (mean follow-up 71.7 months, range 3-264), 38 patients died. The incidence of local recurrence, lymph-node metastasis, lung metastasis, and bone metastasis were 60.3, 12.3, 56.2, and 24.7, respectively. Bone metastasis, disease-free interval < 1 year, and total surgeries < 3 were significant prognostic factors in univariate analysis (log-rank test P = 0.0063, P = 0.0006, and P = 0.0056, respectively). In the multivariate-adjusted analysis, the mortality risk was significantly increased in patients with bone metastasis with a hazard ratio (HR) of 4.83 (95% CI 1.16-20.2; P = 0.03), disease-free interval <=1 year of 5.92 (95% CI 1.85-18.99; P = 0.003), and total surgeries <3 of 11.29 (95% CI 2.82-45.22; P = 0.001), considering these as possible predictive prognostic factors.

CONCLUSION

Bone metastasis, duration of disease-free interval, and total number of surgeries predict survival in recurrent parathyroid cancer.

A novel long-range deletion spanning CDC73 and upper-stream genes discovered in a kindred of familial primary hyperparathyroidism

PURPOSE

To confirm the exact break-point of a novel long-range deletion discovered in one female parathyroid carcinoma (PC) patient who has a strong family history suggesting familial hyperparathyroidism, and to investigate the expression of parafibromin in the patient's affected lesion.

METHODS

Clinical information of one female patient as well as five of her relatives was collected. Their genomic DNA extracted from peripheral blood went through Sanger sequencing and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). After completing whole genome sequencing (WGS), clone sequencing was also performed, whose result was aligned with standard human genome database after Sanger sequencing.

RESULTS

The medical history of recurrent hypercalcemia after parathyroidectomy and histopathological investigation confirmed that the female patient was diagnosed with PC. WGS displayed a novel 130 kb long-range deletion spanning UCHL5 to CDC73 that was later confirmed by clone sequencing. MLPA showed similar results in four of her five relatives, suggesting these people to be carriers of the same long-range deletion, and three among them had a history of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) ahead of the proband's first visit.

CONCLUSIONS

We discovered a novel 130 kb long-range deletion spanning CDC73 in a family of 5 persons, and the existence of the deletion was related to PHPT and PC. Our discovery validated the role of CDC73 mutation in the occurrence of PHPT and PC, which provided new information to the genetic studies of PC.

Prognostic Analysis for Patients With Parathyroid Carcinoma: A Population-Based Study

Background

Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is a rare but often lethal malignancy for which staging system, prognostic indicators, and treatment guidelines are still not established. We aimed to explore the prognostic parameters and construct a nomogram for cancer-specific survival (CSS) of PC.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of 604 PC patients in the SEER database from 2001 through 2018 was performed. All the cases were randomly assigned to the training cohort (n = 424) or the validation cohort (n = 180) at a ratio of 7:3. The Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression model were applied to estimate the CSS and risk factors, and a nomogram was constructed. The predictive accuracy and discriminative ability of the nomogram in CSS were assessed by concordance index (C-index), the area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristics (ROC), and the calibration curve.

Results

Age at diagnosis > 70 years [hazard ratio (HR): 3.55, 95% CI: 1.07–11.78, p = 0.039] and tumor size > 35 mm (HR 4.22, 95% CI: 1.67–10.68, p = 0.002) were associated with worse CSS. Compared with distant metastasis, localized (HR 0.17, 95% CI: 0.06–0.47, p = 0.001) and regional lesions (HR 0.22, 95% CI: 0.07–0.66, p = 0.007) showed an improved CSS rate. Parathyroidectomy was the recommended treatment (p = 0.02). The C-index of the nomogram was 0.826, and the AUC for 5-, 10-, and 15-year CSS was 83.7%, 79.7%, and 80.7%, respectively. The calibration curve presented good agreement between prediction by nomogram and actual observation.

Conclusion

Age at diagnosis > 70 years, tumor size > 35 mm, and distant metastasis were independent risk factors for PC-specific mortality. Parathyroidectomy was currently the most recommended treatment for PC. This nomogram provided individualized assessment and reliable prognostic prediction for patients with PC.

The Long Non-Coding BC200 Is a Novel Circulating Biomarker of Parathyroid Carcinoma

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are an important class of epigenetic regulators involved in both physiological processes and cancer development. Preliminary evidence suggested that lncRNAs could act as accurate prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers. Parathyroid cancer is a rare endocrine neoplasia, whose management represents a clinical challenge due to the lack of accurate molecular biomarkers. Our previous findings showed that human parathyroid tumors are characterized by a different lncRNAs signature, suggesting heterogeneity through the different histotypes. Particularly, we found that the lncRNA BC200/BCYRN1 could represent a candidate biomarker for parathyroid carcinomas (PCas). Here we aimed to extend our preliminary data evaluating whether BC200 could be an accurate non-invasive biomarker of PCas to support the clinical management of patients affected by parathyroid tumors at diagnosis, prognosis and follow-up. To provide a non-invasive point-of-care for parathyroid carcinoma diagnosis and follow-up, we analyzed BC200 expression in patients' serum through digital PCR. Our results show that BC200 counts are higher in serum from patients harboring PCa (n=4) compared to patients with parathyroid adenoma (PAd; n=27). Further, in PAd patients circulating BC200 levels are positively correlated with serum total calcium. Then, we found that BC200 is overexpressed in metastatic PCas (n=4) compared to non-metastatic ones (n=9). Finally, the lncRNA expression in PCa patients' serum drops are reduced after parathyroidectomy, suggesting its possible use in the post-operative setting for patients follow-up. Overall, these findings extend the knowledge on BC200 in parathyroid tumors, supporting its role as a useful biomarker for management of PCa.

Parathyroid Carcinoma and Ectopic Secretion of Parathyroid hormone

The most common causes of hypercalcemia are primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and malignancy. Parathyroid carcinoma (PC), causing a severe PHPT, is the rarest parathyroid tumor. A diagnosis of PC is challenging because the clinical profile overlaps with that of benign counterpart. Surgery is the mainstay treatment. CDC73 mutations have been detected in up to 80% of sporadic PCs. Ectopic production of parathyroid hormone (PTH) by malignant nonparathyroid tumors is a rare condition accounting for less than 1% of hypercalcemia of malignancy. PTH secretion can be considered an aberration in the tissue specificity of gene expression and may involve heterogeneous molecular mechanisms.

Radiation Treatment for Inoperable Local Relapse of Parathyroid Carcinoma With Symptomatic Hypercalcemia: A Case Report

BACKGROUND

Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is an extremely rare malignancy, characterized by slow progression, frequent recurrences and difficult-to-control hypercalcemia which is typically the main contributor to the morbidity and mortality of these patients. Patients often undergo repeated surgical resections, whether or not in combination with adjuvant radiation treatment. The role of radiation therapy within the symptomatic treatment of PC currently remains unclear.

CASE DESCRIPTION

We describe a 30-year-old male patient with an inoperable local relapse of PC and secondary symptomatic hypercalcemia, maximally pharmacologically treated. After a local radiation treatment to a total dose of 70 Gray in 35 fractions serum calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels decreased, accompanied by improvement of the severe gastro-intestinal disturbances.

CONCLUSION

For patients with inoperable symptomatic PC despite maximal medical treatment who are in a good overall condition, radiation treatment can be considered in well-defined cases to decrease symptoms and improve quality of life.

Serum Calcium Level Combined with Platelet Count May Be Useful Indicators for Assisted Diagnosis of Extremity Posttraumatic Osteomyelitis: A Comparative Analysis

Background

A previous study had reported that patients with osteomyelitis (OM) appeared to be more likely to develop hypocalcemia before and after surgery. Calcium sulfate (CS) is frequently used as a local antibiotic vehicle in the treatment of OM, which may also affect serum calcium level. However, whether changes of serum calcium level are caused by OM and/or local use of calcium sulfate remains unclear. Also, platelet (PLT) count plays a crucial predictive role in periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs), but its role in assisted diagnosis of OM is largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine whether serum calcium level and PLT count may be helpful in assisted diagnosis of PTOM.

Methods

Between January 2013 and December 2018, we analyzed 468 consecutive patients (392 males and 76 females), including 170 patients with posttraumatic OM (PTOM), 130 patients with aseptic bone nonunion (ABN), and 168 patients recovered from fractures with requirement of implant removal set as controls. Preoperative serological levels of calcium, phosphorus, and PLT were detected, and comparisons were conducted among the above three groups. Additionally, correlations and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were displayed to test whether calcium level and PLT can differentiate patients with ABN and PTOM.

Results

Outcomes showed that the incidences of asymptomatic hypocalcemia (PTOM vs. ABN vs. controls = 22.94% vs. 6.92% vs. 8.82%, χ² = 21.098, P < 0.001) and thrombocytosis (PTOM vs. ABN vs. controls = 35.3% vs. 13.84% vs. 12.35%, χ² = 28.512, P < 0.001) were highest in PTOM patients. Besides, the mean serological levels of phosphorus in PTOM and ABN patients were significantly higher than those in the controls (P = 0.007). The Area Under the Curve (AUC) of the ROC curve outcomes revealed that, with the combination of serum calcium level with PLT count, the predictive role was acceptable (AUC 0.730, P < 0.001, 95% CI 0.681-0.780). Also, serological levels of calcium of 2.225 mmol/L and PLT count of 246.5 × 10⁹/L were identified as the optimal cut-off values to distinguish patients with and without PTOM. However, age- and gender-related differences in serum calcium levels (age, P = 0.056; gender, P = 0.978) and PLT count (age, P = 0.363; gender, P = 0.799) were not found to be statistically significant in any groups. In addition, no significant correlations were identified between serum calcium level and PLT count (R = 0.010, P = 0.839).

Conclusions

Asymptomatic hypocalcemia and thrombocytosis appeared to be more frequent in this cohort with PTOM. Serological levels of calcium and PLT count may be useful biomarkers in screening patients suspected of PTOM.

Parathyroid Carcinoma and Adenoma Co-existing in One Patient: Case Report and Comparative Proteomic Analysis

BACKGROUND/AIM

The lack of specific parathyroid carcinoma (PC) biomarkers in clinical practice points out the importance of analyzing the proteomic signature of this cancer. We performed a comparative proteomic analysis of PC and parathyroid adenoma (PA) co-existing in the same patient.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

PC and PA were taken from a 63-year-old patient. Using two-dimensional differential gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) coupled to mass spectrometry we examined the differences between PC and PA proteins. For validation, additional PC and PA samples were obtained from 10 patients. Western blot analysis was used to validate the difference of expression observed with 2D-DIGE analysis. Bioinfomatic analysis was performed using QIAGEN's Ingenuity Pathways Analysis (IPA) to determine the predominant canonical pathways and interaction networks involved.

RESULTS

Thirty-three differentially expressed proteins were identified in PC compared to PA. Among these, ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 (UCH-L1) was highly overexpressed in PC. The result was confirmed by Western Blot analysis in additional PC samples.

CONCLUSION

Our comparative proteomic analysis of co-existing neoplasms allowed detecting specific and peculiar differences between PC and PA overcoming population biological variability.

Giant parathyroid carcinoma: Diagnostic, difficulties and therapeutic strategies: A case report

Introduction

Parathyroid carcinoma is a very aggressive malignant tumor. It is mostly revealed by clinical primary hyperparathyroidism.

Case presentation

We report a rare case of parathyroid carcinoma in a 61-year-old-male patient who presented with a painless right-sided cervical tumefaction of hard consistency associated with cervical lymphadenopathy. Cervical ultrasonography showed a right parathyroid mass with intimate contact with the homolateral thyroid lobe. A parathyroidectomy enlarged to the adjacent thyroid parenchyma with a selective neck dissection level VI was performed.

Clinical discussion

The clinical presentation is most often manifested with clinical features of primary hyperparathyroidism associating bone disorders. Surgery remains the treatment of choice. The benefit of adjuvant treatments is controversial and remains to be evaluated.

Conclusion

Parathyroid carcinoma is a rare tumor. This rare entity is often presented with clinicobiological features of severe primary hyperparathyroidism.

•

Parathyroid carcinoma is a very aggressive malignant tumor.

•

The final diagnosis is made upon pathology study.

•

The surgical resection must be “en bloc” and complete R0 including the tumor and ipsilateral thyroid lobe with selective cervical dissection level VI.

•

The prognosis depends on the risk of local or distant recurrences and the control of hypercalcemia.

Diagnostic Utility of Radiomics in Thyroid and Head and Neck Cancers

Radiomics is an emerging field in radiology that utilizes advanced statistical data characterizing algorithms to evaluate medical imaging and objectively quantify characteristics of a given disease. Due to morphologic heterogeneity and genetic variation intrinsic to neoplasms, radiomics have the potential to provide a unique insight into the underlying tumor and tumor microenvironment. Radiomics has been gaining popularity due to potential applications in disease quantification, predictive modeling, treatment planning, and response assessment - paving way for the advancement of personalized medicine. However, producing a reliable radiomic model requires careful evaluation and construction to be translated into clinical practices that have varying software and/or medical equipment. We aim to review the diagnostic utility of radiomics in otorhinolaryngology, including both cancers of the head and neck as well as the thyroid.

Surgical Disparities of Parathyroid Carcinoma: Long-Term Outcomes and Deep Excavation Based on a Large Database

Purpose

Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is an uncommon endocrine disease, and surgery is considered the only potential cure. PC does not have a mature staging system because of the small number of PC patients. Our aim is to further investigate the prognostic factors associated with PC and explore the optimal extent of resection for PC patients.

Methods

Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were conducted to explore the influence of relevant factors on cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS). Survival curves were generated using the Kaplan–Meier method and analyzed using the log-rank test. The mortality rates per 1,000 person-years were calculated to evaluate patients' follow-up data. We also performed subgroup analysis based on the extent of resection.

Results

The extent of resection was related to both CSS and OS, whereas race and extent of disease had a significant positive correlation with OS (all P < 0.05). Patients who underwent parathyroidectomy had remarkably better CSS and OS than patients who did not undergo definitive treatment.

Conclusion

The extent of resection is related to CSS and OS in patients with PC. No significant difference in prognosis was observed between patients who underwent parathyroidectomy and those who underwent en bloc resection, which may provide useful parameters for the treatment of PC.

Expression profile of serum-related exosomal miRNAs from parathyroid tumor

OBJECTIVE

The expression pattern of exosomal miRNAs derived from parathyroid tumor is still unknown. In the present work, we aimed to examine the differences on microRNA (miRNA) expression, present in serum exosomes, by comparing parathyroid carcinoma (PC) and parathyroid adenoma (PA).

METHODS

MiRNA expression profile of serum exosomes, derived from 4 PC patients and 4 PA patients, were analyzed by next-generation sequencing technology. The differential expressions of target miRNAs were further verified in both serum exosomes and tissues of PC/PA patients by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Lastly, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to investigate the efficiency of target exosomal miRNAs in distinguishing PC patients from PA controls.

RESULTS

Multiple differentially expressed miRNAs of serum exosomes were screened out by sequencing. Based on this screening, hsa-miR-146b-5p (p = 0.0846), hsa-miR-27a-5p (p = 0.0412), hsa-miR-93-5p (p = 0.73), hsa-miR-381-3p (p = 0.1239) and hsa-miR-134-5p (p = 0.0694) were upregulated in the serum exosomes of PC patients. These results were validated by qPCR, where the trend on differential miRNA expression was consistent with the sequencing results. Specifically, the expression of exosomal hsa-miR-27a-5p was able to clearly distinguish PC patients from PA controls, and related analysis indicated that the area under the ROC curve was 0.8594 (p = 0.0157).

CONCLUSIONS

Here we present, for the first time, the miRNA expression profile of serum exosomes derived from PC patients. Based on this result, we presently suggest that the exosomal hsa-miR-27a-5p may serve as a putative tumor marker for preoperative identification of PC and PA subjects.

Ultrasound combined with biochemical parameters can be used to differentiate parathyroid carcinoma from benign tumors in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism

BACKGROUND

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) results from excessive secretion of parathyroid hormone from parathyroid tumors. Differentiating parathyroid tumors can be challenging before operation.

OBJECTIVES

To differentiate parathyroid carcinoma from benign tumors in patients with PHPT by the application of ultrasound and biochemical parameters.

METHODS

This study is a retrospective study. The study enrolled 17 patients with parathyroid carcinoma (PC) and 57 patients with parathyroid adenoma (PA), confirmed by postoperative pathology, between September 2010 and July 2017. This study retrospectively compared the ultrasonic features of the tumors included echotexture, maximum lesion diameter, shape, margin, blood flow inside the mass, intralesional calcifications, cysts in the mass, and biochemical parameters included serum calcium, phosphorus, parathyroid hormone (PTH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels, gender distribution and age of patients between patients with PC and those with PA.

RESULTS

In the US images, the two groups showed significant differences in heterogeneity, the appearance of a taller-than-wide shape, irregular or lobulated margins, and intralesional calcifications (p < #x003C;< #x200A;0.05). However, no significant difference was found in echogenicity, maximum lesion diameter, blood flow, and cystic components of the mass (p > #x003E;> #x200A;0.05). The mean PTH levels were significantly different between the two groups (p < #x003C;< #x200A;0.05). The PC and PA patients did not differ significantly in terms of mean serum calcium, mean serum phosphorus, and mean ALP levels (p > #x003E;> #x200A;0.05). There were significant differences to distinguish PC from PA in calcifications in mass or/and taller-than-wide shape combine with PTH > #x003E;> #x200A;1000 pg/mL (p < #x003C;< #x200A;0.05). Significant difference existed in the age between the two groups (p < #x003C;< #x200A;0.001). No significant difference existed in the gender distribution between the two groups (p > #x003E;> #x200A;0.05).

CONCLUSION

Ultrasound features especially intralesional calcifications and taller-than-wide shape combine with an extremely high serum PTH (>1000 pg/mL) are helpful in differentiating between benign and parathyroid tumors in patients with PHPT.

Parathyroid Carcinoma: An Experience from the Indian Primary Hyperparathyroidism Registry

OBJECTIVE

To describe the details of widely invasive parathyroid carcinoma (WIPC) patients admitted in the Endocrinology department of our institute during the last 22 years and to compare their clinical, biochemical, and hormonal profile with minimally invasive parathyroid carcinoma (MIPC) and sporadic parathyroid adenoma patients.

METHODS

This is a retrospective analysis of data from the Indian primary hyperparathyroidism registry.

RESULTS

Of the 547 primary hyperparathyroidism patients in the registry, 5 (2 men and 3 women) had WIPC (0.9%) and 7 (1 man and 6 women) had MIPC (1.3%), with median ages of 45 (interquartile range, 41-51) years and 47 (interquartile range, 28-48) years, respectively. Among the patients with WIPC, renal manifestations were present in 5 patients, skeletal manifestations in 4 patients, and palpable neck masses in 4 patients. Three patients had distant metastases and 2 had cervical lymph node involvement. All 5 patients had surgical resection of their cancers, with persistent disease in 4 patients, but all patients died within 2 years after surgery. One patient with MIPC had a palpable parathyroid nodule; none had lymph nodal or distant metastases. None of the patients with MIPC died during the median follow-up of 18 (interquartile range, 12-18) months. Patients with WIPC had significantly higher serum calcium level compared with sporadic parathyroid adenoma patients with skeletal and renal manifestations.

CONCLUSION

Accurate histopathologic classification of parathyroid carcinoma is important as WIPC is associated with a more aggressive clinical course and a higher risk of mortality than MIPC.

[Parathyroid carcinoma: a rare and aggressive tumor]

Parathyroid carcinoma is a very rare disease that is accompanied by a poor prognosis. Diagnosis is based on laboratory tests (calcium, parathyroid hormone), sonography, and scintigraphy. Complete surgical resection is the treatment of choice. Adjuvant therapy is controversial. The lack of treatment guidelines and experience with this disease often delay timely therapy. In the following article, we report on two female patients with parathyroid carcinoma who underwent surgery in our clinic.

Case Report: Abdominal Lymph Node Metastases of Parathyroid Carcinoma: Diagnostic Workup, Molecular Diagnosis, and Clinical Management

Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is an orphan malignancy accounting for only ~1% of all cases with primary hyperparathyroidism. The localization of recurrent PC is of critical importance and can be exceedingly difficult to diagnose and sometimes futile when common sites of recurrence in the neck and chest cannot be confirmed. Here, we present the diagnostic workup, molecular analysis and multimodal therapy of a 46-year old woman with the extraordinary manifestation of abdominal lymph node metastases 12 years after primary diagnosis of PC. The patient was referred to our endocrine tumor center in 2016 with the aim to localize the tumor causative of symptomatic biochemical recurrence. In view of the extensive previous workup we decided to perform [18F]FDG-PET-CT. A pathological lymph node in the liver hilus showed slightly increased FDG-uptake and hence was suspected as site of recurrence. Selective venous sampling confirmed increased parathyroid hormone concentration in liver veins. Abdominal lymph node metastasis was resected and histopathological examination confirmed PC. Within four months, the patient experienced biochemical recurrence and based on high tumor mutational burden detected in the surgical specimen by whole exome sequencing the patient received immunotherapy with pembrolizumab that led to a biochemical response. Subsequent to disease progression repeated abdominal lymph node resection was performed in 10/2018, 01/2019 and in 01/2020. Up to now (12/2020) the patient is biochemically free of disease. In conclusion, a multimodal diagnostic approach and therapy in an interdisciplinary setting is needed for patients with rare endocrine tumors. Molecular analyses may inform additional treatment options including checkpoint inhibitors such as pembrolizumab.

Parathyroid carcinoma with sarcomatoid differentiation: a case report and literature review

Background

Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is a rare thyroid tumor. PC with sarcomatoid differentiation(PCSD) is even rarer and its exact etiology remains unclear. We here report a case of PCSD, and present the clinicopathological features and pathological diagnosis and review the literature.

Case presentation

A 71-year-old man presented with a mass of 4.5 cm × 3.5 cm in the right neck. The tumor was composed of nest-like transparent cells, and the septum had heterotypic rhabdoid cells with sarcomatoid differentiation. Immunophenotype was as follows: myogenic differentiation 1(MyoD1), myogenin and desmin were positive; clear cells were positive for chromogranin A(CGA), synaptophysin(Syn) and GATA-3; and Ki-67 proliferation index was 40%. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry were performed. The patient was diagnosed with PCSD, and died 6 months after surgery.

Conclusions

PCSD is a rare type of primary parathyroid tumor with high malignancy and poor prognosis. Definitive diagnosis should be based on histopathological morphology and immunophenotype, and surgical treatment should be performed as soon as possible.

Parathyroid Carcinoma in the Setting of Tertiary Hyperparathyroidism: Case Report and Review of the Literature

INTRODUCTION

Parathyroid carcinoma is one of the rarest cancers in normal population, and it is extremely uncommon in the setting of tertiary hyperparathyroidism. Indeed, only 24 cases have been reported in the literature. Presentation of the Case. We report the case of parathyroid carcinoma in a 51-year-old man, with a history of end-stage renal disease due to a horseshoe kidney treated with haemodialysis since 2013. He came to our attention due to an increase in calcium and parathyroid hormone serum levels. Neck ultrasound (US) showed a solid hypodense mass, probably the right inferior parathyroid gland, with an estimated size of 25 × 15 × 13 mm; the 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT/CT scan revealed a large radiotracer activity area in the right cervical region, compatible with a hyperfunctioning right inferior parathyroid gland. So, a tertiary hyperparathyroidism diagnosis was made. In April 2018, resection of three parathyroid glands was performed. Histopathological examination demonstrated the right inferior parathyroid gland specimen to be a parathyroid carcinoma, due to the presence of multiple, full-thickness, capsular infiltration foci, and a venous vascular invasion focus. Discussion. Diagnosis of parathyroid carcinoma in tertiary hyperparathyroidism is remarkably complex because of the lack of clinical diagnostic criteria and, in many cases, is made postoperatively at histopathological examination.

CONCLUSION

To date, radical surgery represents the mainstay of treatment, with a five- and ten-year survival rates overall acceptable.

Immunocyte density in parathyroid carcinoma is correlated with disease relapse

PURPOSE

Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is an endocrine malignancy with a poor prognosis. The tumour immune microenvironment is a critical factor influencing the outcomes of multiple cancer types. However, knowledge of the immune microenvironment in PC remains limited.

METHODS

The intratumoural density of immunocytes and the Ki-67 index were evaluated immunohistochemically in 51 PC patient samples and were compared with clinicopathological features and parafibromin staining results. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards analysis were used to estimate the effects of these variables on clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

Intratumoural immunocyte density was not correlated with age, gender, urolithiasis, or palpation of a neck mass. The Ki-67 index was correlated with the intratumoural density of CD3⁺ cells (P = 0.022) and CD8⁺ cells (P = 0.021) and serum calcium levels (P = 0.022). In the intratumoural area of primary foci, Kaplan-Meier method showed that the risk factors associated with recurrence/metastasis were a low density of CD3⁺ (P = 0.017), CD8⁺ (P = 0.019) and CD45⁺ cells (P = 0.047), a high density of CD163⁺ cells (P = 0.003) and a high Ki-67 index (P = 0.004). Cox regression multivariate analysis revealed that CD163⁺ cell density (hazard ratio (HR) 16.19, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.99-131.66; P = 0.009) and CD8⁺ cell density (HR 0.13, 95% CI 0.02-0.76, P = 0.024) were independent factors associated with PC relapse.

CONCLUSION

The immune microenvironment is an important factor influencing the relapse of PC. The intratumoural density of CD3⁺, CD8⁺, CD45⁺, and CD163⁺ immunocytes was correlated with disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with PC. Immunotherapy based on T lymphocytes or tumour-associated macrophages may be a promising treatment strategy.

Severe symptomatic hyperparathyroidism-Is it carcinoma?-Case report and literature review

Parathyroid carcinoma is a rare disease, difficult to diagnose and associated with a poor prognosis. It must be suspected preoperatively, based on clinical and imaging grounds, in order to perform the best surgical option and avoid compromising patient's prognosis.

Clinical Presentation, Treatment, and Outcome of Parathyroid Carcinoma: Results of the NEKAR Retrospective International Multicenter Study

OBJECTIVE

In this retrospective cohort study, we describe the clinical presentation and workup of parathyroid carcinoma (PC) and determine its clinical prognostic parameters. Primary outcome was recurrence free survival.

SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA

PC is an orphan malignancy for which diagnostic workup and treatment is not established.

METHODS

Eighty-three patients were diagnosed with PC between 1986 and 2018. Disease-specific and recurrence-free survivals were estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method. Risk factors for recurrence were identified by binary logistic regression with adjustment for age and sex. Thirty-nine tumors underwent central histopathological review.

RESULTS

Renal (39.8%), gastrointestinal (24.1%), bone (22.9%), and psychiatric (19.3%) symptoms were the most common symptoms. Surgical treatment was heterogeneous [parathyroidectomy [PTx)] alone: 22.9%; PTx and hemithyroidectomy: 24.1%; en bloc resection 15.7%; others 37.3%] and complications of surgery were frequent (recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy 25.3%; hypoparathyroidism 6%). Recurrence of PC was observed in 32 of 83 cases. In univariate analysis, rate of recurrence was reduced when extended initial surgery had been performed (P = 0.04). In multivariate analysis low T status [odds ratio (OR) = 2.65, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-6.88, P = 0.045], N0 stage at initial diagnosis (OR = 6.32, 95% CI 1.33-30.01, P = 0.02), Ki-67 <10% (OR = 14.07, 95% CI 2.09-94.9, P = 0.007), and postoperative biochemical remission (OR = 0.023, 95% CI 0.001-0.52, P = 0.018) were beneficial prognostic parameters for recurrence-free survival.

CONCLUSION

Despite a favorable overall prognosis, PC shows high rates of recurrence leading to repeated surgery and postoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy and hypoparathyroidism. In view of the reduced recurrence rate in cases of extended surgery, ipsilateral completion surgery may be considered when PC is confirmed.

An Unusual Simultaneous Existence of Parathyroid Carcinoma and Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: Case Report and Review of Literature

Synchronous parathyroid and papillary thyroid carcinoma are extremely rare. To our knowledge, only 15 cases have been reported in the last four decades. We describe a 50-year-old female without significant past medical or family history and no previous trauma presented with left heel pain that prompted her to seek medical attention. Physical examination was notable for a painless nodule at the left thyroid lobe. Laboratory evaluation showed a serum calcium level of 14.3 mg/dL (8.6–10.3 mg/dL) and intact parathyroid hormone level of 1160 pg/mL (12–88 pg/mL). 99Tc-sestamibi dual-phase with single-photon emission computed tomography fused images showed increased uptake at the left-sided inferior parathyroid gland. Neck ultrasound showed a 1.4 cm heterogeneous nodule in the middle-third of the left thyroid gland and a solitary 1.9 cm vascularized and hypoechoic oval nodule that was considered likely to represent a parathyroid adenoma. Due to its clinical context (severe hypercalcemia and very high levels of PTH), parathyroid carcinoma (PC) was suspected although imaging studies were not characteristic. The patient underwent en bloc resection of the parathyroid mass and left thyroid lobe and central neck compartment dissection. Pathology analysis revealed classical papillary thyroid carcinoma of classical subtype and parathyroid carcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining was positive for cyclidin D1 and negative for parafibromin. High clinical suspicion is required for parathyroid carcinoma diagnosis in the presence of very high level of parathyroid hormone, marked hypercalcemia, and the existence of any thyroid nodule should be approached and the coexistence of other carcinomas should be considered.

Parathyroid cancer: An update

Parathyroid cancer (PC) is a rare malignant tumor which comprises 0.5-5% of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). Most of these cancers are sporadic, although it may also occur as a feature of various genetic syndromes including hyperparathyroidism-jaw tumor syndrome (HPT-JT) and multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) types 1 and 2A. Although PC is characterized by high levels of serum ionized calcium (Ca) and parathyroid hormone (PTH), the challenge to the clinician is to distinguish PC from the far more common entities of parathyroid adenoma (PA) or hyperplasia, as there are no specific clinical, biochemical, or radiological characteristic of PC. Complete surgical resection is the only known curative treatment for PC with the surgical approach during initial surgery strongly influencing the outcome. In order to avoid local recurrence, the lesion must be removed en-bloc with clear margins. PC has high recurrence rates of up to 50% but with favorable long-term survival rates (10-year overall survival of 60-70%) due to its slow-growing nature. Most patients die not from tumor burden directly but from uncontrolled severe hypercalcemia. In this article we have updated the information on PC by reviewing the literature over the past 10 years and summarizing the findings of the largest series published in this period.

Severe Primary Hyperparathyroidism Caused by Parathyroid Carcinoma in a 13-Year-Old Child; Novel Findings From HRpQCT

Primary hyperparathyroidism is a condition that occurs infrequently in children. Parathyroid carcinoma, as the underlying cause of hyperparathyroidism in this age group, is extraordinarily rare, with only a few cases reported in the literature. We present a 13-year-old boy with musculoskeletal pain who was found to have brown tumors from primary hyperparathyroidism caused by parafibromin-immunodeficient parathyroid carcinoma. Our patient had no clinical, biochemical, or radiographic evidence of pituitary adenomas, pancreatic tumors, thyroid tumors, pheochromocytoma, jaw tumors, renal abnormalities, or testicular lesions. Germline testing for AP2S1, CASR, CDC73/HRPT2, CDKN1B, GNA11, MEN1, PTH1R, RET, and the GCM2 gene showed no pathological variants, and a microarray of CDC73/HRPT2 did not reveal deletion or duplication. He was managed with i.v. fluids, calcitonin, pamidronate, and denosumab prior to surgery to stabilize hypercalcemia. After removal of a single parathyroid tumor, he developed severe hungry bone syndrome and required 3 weeks of continuous i.v. calcium infusion, in addition to oral calcium and activated vitamin D. Histopathological examination identified an angioinvasive parathyroid carcinoma with global loss of parafibromin (protein encoded by CDC73/HRPT2).HRpQCT and DXA studies were obtained prior to surgery and 18-months postsurgery. HRpQCT showed a resolution of osteolytic lesions combined with structural improvement of cortical porosity and an increase in both cortical thickness and density compared with levels prior to treatment. These findings highlight the added value of HRpQCT in primary hyperparathyroidism. In addition to our case, we have provided a review of the published cases of parathyroid cancer in children. © 2019 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Using a Novel Diagnostic Nomogram to Differentiate Malignant from Benign Parathyroid Neoplasms

We sought to develop an immunohistochemical (IHC) tool to support the diagnosis of parathyroid carcinoma (PC) and help differentiate it from atypical parathyroid neoplasms (atypical) and benign adenomas. Distinguishing PC from benign parathyroid neoplasms can be challenging. Many cases of PC are histopathologically borderline for definitive malignancy. Recently, individual IHC biomarkers have been evaluated to aid in discrimination between parathyroid neoplasms. PC, atypical parathyroid neoplasms, and parathyroid adenomas treated at our institution from 1997 to 2014 were studied retrospectively. IHC analysis was performed to evaluate parafibromin, retinoblastoma (RB), protein gene product 9.5 (PGP9.5), Ki67, galectin-3, and E-cadherin expression. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and multivariable logistic regression model for combinations of biomarkers were evaluated to classify patients as PC or atypical/adenoma. A diagnostic nomogram using 5 biomarkers was created for PC. Sixty-three patients were evaluated. The percent staining of parafibromin (p < 0.0001), RB (p = 0.04), Ki67 (p = 0.02), PGP9.5 (p = 0.04), and Galectin-3 (p = 0.01) differed significantly in the three diagnostic groups. ROC analysis demonstrated that parafibromin had the best performance in discriminating PC from atypical/adenoma; area under the curve (AUC) was 81% (cutoff, 92.5%; sensitivity rate, 64%; specificity rate, 87%). We created a diagnostic nomogram using a combination of biomarkers; AUC was 84.9% (95% confidence interval, 73.4-96.4%). The optimism-adjusted AUC for this model was 80.5% (mean absolute error, 0.043). A diagnostic nomogram utilizing an immunoexpression, a combination of immunohistochemical biomarkers, can be used to help differentiate PC from other parathyroid neoplasms, thus potentially improving diagnostic classification.

Parathyroid carcinoma arising from auto-transplanted parathyroid tissue after Total Parathyroidectomy in chronic kidney disease patient: a case report

BACKGROUND

Secondary hyperparathyroidism is a common complication in patients with chronic kidney disease that requires vigilant treatment due to its high mortality rate. Pharmacologic therapy is recommended as an initial treatment; if there is no response, a total parathyroidectomy is performed. In some cases, surgery is accompanied by auto-transplantation of parathyroid tissue.

CASE PRESENTATION

The patient was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease and received a kidney transplant. However, due to rejection of the transplanted kidney, medical nephrectomy was carried out and routine hemodialysis was initiated and observed. At this time, secondary hyperparathyroidism with elevated parathyroid hormone and hyperphosphatemia developed and pharmacologic treatment was applied. However, there was no response to pharmacologic treatment; therefore, total parathyroidectomy with auto-transplantation was performed. Eight years after surgery, a growing mass was observed in the transplantation site, accompanied by an elevation of parathyroid hormone. A complete resection of the mass was performed, and the patient was diagnosed with parathyroid carcinoma. Additional adjuvant radiation therapy was ordered, and the patient is being monitored.

CONCLUSIONS

This is a rare but remarkable case of parathyroid carcinoma arising from auto-transplanted parathyroid tissue after total parathyroidectomy in a patient with secondary hyperparathyroidism. We suggest caution should be taken when choosing to auto- transplant parathyroid tissue and that careful postoperative observation should be performed.

MANAGEMENT OF ENDOCRINE DISEASE: Unmet therapeutic, educational and scientific needs in parathyroid disorders

PARAT, a new European Society of Endocrinology program, aims to identify unmet scientific and educational needs of parathyroid disorders, such as primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), including parathyroid cancer (PC), and hypoparathyroidism (HypoPT). The discussions and consensus statements from the first PARAT workshop (September 2018) are reviewed. PHPT has a high prevalence in Western communities, PHPT has a high prevalence in Western communities, yet evidence is sparse concerning the natural history and whether morbidity and long-term outcomes are related to hypercalcemia or plasma PTH concentrations, or both. Cardiovascular mortality and prevalence of low energy fractures are increased, whereas Quality of Life is decreased, although their reversibility by treatment of PHPT has not been convincingly demonstrated. PC is a rare cause of PHPT, with an increasing incidence, and international collaborative studies are required to advance knowledge of the genetic mechanisms, biomarkers for disease activity, and optimal treatments. For example, ~20% of PCs demonstrate high mutational burden, and identifying targetable DNA variations, gene amplifications and gene fusions may facilitate personalized care, such as different forms of immunotherapy or targeted therapy. HypoPT, a designated orphan disease, is associated with a high risk of symptoms and complications. Most cases are secondary to neck surgery. However, there is a need to better understand the relation between disease biomarkers and intellectual function, and to establish the role of PTH in target tissues, as these may facilitate the appropriate use of PTH substitution therapy. Management of parathyroid disorders is challenging, and PARAT has highlighted the need for international transdisciplinary scientific and educational studies in advancing in this field.