Well .I think anyone with a tumour needs to see the best Specialist he can.
The Parathyroid Glands sit under /beneath the Thyroid gland. there are 4 of them if my memory serves me correctly.
These small glands control the calcium level in the body, a critical function.Too much or too little is a medical emergency.
If it was me I would ask if it is possible to reinplant at least 1 of these glands in the forearm to maintain Parathyroid function. Is the area to be irradiated postop? Unfortunately it very easy to damage these small glands during surgery. if we had our time over again, i would insist on having 1 reimplanted - if it is cancer free of course. It is quite a juggle to maintain normal calcium levels without the Parathyroid. It is not a simple matter of taking calcium replacements as it is the Parathyroid that regulates uptake of dietary calcium.
So, ask if all the Parathyroids are involved. Is any radiation in the plan , and go from there.
Hope this helps,
Tammy

Caregiver/advocate to Husband Kris age 59@ diagnosis
DX Dec '10 SCC BOT T4aN2bM0 HPV+ve.Cisplatin x3 35 IMRT.
PET 6/11 clear.
R) level 2-4 neck dissection 8/1/11 to remove residual node - necrotic with NED
Feb '12 Ca back.. 3/8/12 total glossectomy/laryngectomy/bilat neck dissection/partial pharyngectomy etc. clear margins. All nodes negative for disease. PEG in.
March 2017 - 5 years disease free. Woohoo!