Parathyroidectomies Decline in Japan After Cinacalcet Introduced

DENVER—Since the commercial availability of cinacalcet in Japan in 2008, the frequency of parathyroidectomy (PTx) in hemodialysis (HD) patients has decreased, according to researchers.

Yoshirio Tominaga, MD, of Nagoya Second Red Cross Hospital in Nagoya, and his colleagues reviewed data from 4,036 HD patients receiving care in 109 institutes that agreed to participate in a research consortium.

The researchers evaluated the number of initial PTx and re-operation for SHPT annually. From 2004 to 2005 the numbers were similar (1,137 for 2004 and 1,154 for 2005). However, the number of PTx climbed and then plummeted: 1,375 in 2006, 1,749 in 2007, 1,042 in 2008, and only 490 in 2009.

In 2006, the Japanese Society of Dialysis Therapy established guidelines for the treatment of SHPT in HD patients. The guidelines proposed that PTx should be performed at relatively early stage of SHPT to achieve an optimal patient outcome.