- Is a pituitary tumor curable?
- Main symptoms
- How to confirm the diagnosis
- Possible causes
- How the treatment is done
The pituitary tumor, also known as pituitary tumor, consists of the growth of an abnormal mass that appears in the pituitary gland, located at the base of the brain. The pituitary gland is a master gland, responsible for controlling other glands in the body to produce its hormones, so when a tumor appears in this region, several symptoms may be present, such as changes in the thyroid, infertility or increased pressure, for example.
Generally, pituitary tumors are benign and therefore cannot be considered cancer, being called pituitary adenomas, but these can also cause serious health problems, because many of them produce hormones in excess, affecting the entire body, and therefore be evaluated by the neurologist and endocrinologist and treated accordingly.
Is a pituitary tumor curable?
Benign pituitary tumors do not spread throughout the body, because they are not a carcinoma, and usually remain located in the Turkish saddle, which is a small space where the pituitary gland is located, however, they can grow and press on neighboring areas like vessels blood, nerves and sinuses, but they are usually easy to treat and can be completely eliminated, with great chances of cure.
Main symptoms
The symptoms of a pituitary tumor depend on its size and location, but can be:
Tumor in the anterior pituitary (most frequent)
- Exaggerated growth of organs or bones, called acromegaly, due to increased production of growth hormone (GH); Hyperthyroidism due to increased thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which regulates the thyroid; Rapid weight gain and fat accumulation, due increased production of the ACTH hormone that leads to Cushing's disease; Decreased production of eggs or sperm, which can cause infertility, due to changes in the production of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH); Production of whitish liquid by the nipple, in cases of a prolactin-producing tumor, which leads to high prolactin and milk secretion from the breasts of women who are not breastfeeding, called galactorrhea. Its effect on men is the same and this symptom is the diagnosis of this type of tumor, known as prolactinoma.
Tumor in posterior pituitary gland (rare)
- Frequent desire to urinate and increased pressure due to the presence of Diabetes insipidus, caused by the increase in antidiuretic hormone (ADH); Uterine cramps, due to increased oxytocin, which leads to uterine contraction.
In addition, other symptoms may also appear, such as severe and frequent headache, vision problems, excessive tiredness, nausea and vomiting, especially if the tumor is putting pressure on other parts of the brain.
Macroadenoma symptoms
When the pituitary tumor is more than 1 cm in diameter it is considered a macroadenoma, in which case it can press on other areas of the brain, such as the optic nerve or chiasma, causing symptoms such as:
- Strabismus, which is when the eyes are not properly adjusted; Blurred or double vision; Decreased viewing angle, with loss of peripheral vision; Headache; Pain or numbness in the face; Dizziness or fainting.
Find out what other signs of brain tumor are at: Brain tumor symptoms.
How to confirm the diagnosis
The diagnosis of tumor in the pituitary gland is made based on the symptoms that the person presents and through blood tests, and imaging tests such as MRI, and in some cases, the doctor may request a biopsy, but there is not always a need to perform this last one.
Small pituitary adenomas that do not produce excess hormones and that are discovered accidentally, when performing an MRI or computed tomography scan, may not require specific treatment, requiring only tests every 6 months or 1 year, to see if there has been an increase in size, pressing other areas of the brain.
Possible causes
The causes of tumor in the pituitary gland are due to the genetic predisposition that the person has, due to changes in his own DNA, and this type of tumor is not frequent in the same family, and is not hereditary.
There are no known environmental causes or other factors related to the development of this type of tumor, be it benign or malignant, and there is nothing that the person can have done to have or not to have this tumor.
How the treatment is done
The treatment can completely cure the pituitary tumor, must be guided by a neurosurgeon and usually starts with surgery to remove the tumor through the nose or a cut in the skull, which has an 80% chance of success. When the tumor is very large and is affecting other brain regions, there is a greater risk of injuring brain tissue, which is a more risky procedure. Complications during or after surgery, such as bleeding, infections or reactions to anesthesia are rare, but they can happen.
However, if the tumor in the pituitary gland is not very large, radiotherapy or hormonal remedies such as Parlodel or Sandostatin can be used to prevent or regress its growth. When the tumor is large, the doctor may choose to start treatment with radiotherapy or medication to reduce the size of the tumor, and then remove it through surgery.
Monitoring of the case can be done by the neurologist or endocrinologist with tests that must be performed regularly to check the person's general health.
