What is a Pituitary Tumor?

Most pituitary tumors are benign, but rare malignant ones exist. The pituitary gland is responsible for producing and secreting hormones throughout the body, Pituitary tumors are almost always benign, but if they are malignant, they grow quickly and are at risk of metastasizing to surrounding tissues or other sites. Symptoms are often similar to those of benign tumors and include symptoms related to hormone excess or deficiency, headaches, and visual disturbances. Diagnosis is made by MRI or CT to confirm the location and size of the tumor, blood tests to measure hormone levels, and biopsy to determine if it is benign or malignant.

An example of a proposed treatment for a pituitary tumor

Surgery:

is performed to remove or reduce the size of the tumor. Surgery to access the tumor through the nasal cavity (transnasal transsphenoidal surgery) is common. In malignant cases, the tumor may have spread to surrounding tissues, making total removal difficult.

Radiotherapy:

Radiotherapy is used to kill or inhibit the growth of tumor cells. External radiation therapy, which delivers radiation externally, or stereotactic radiotherapy such as gamma knife, which delivers radiation directly to the tumor, may be the treatment of choice, but the size and location of the tumor may affect the effectiveness of the treatment.

Chemotherapy:

is aimed at inhibiting the growth of tumor cells. Anticancer drugs are used to inhibit or kill tumor growth, but their effectiveness is often limited.

Biologic therapy:

is aimed at inhibiting the growth of the tumor. Treatment options, such as hormone therapy and molecular targeted therapy, are tailored to the characteristics of the tumor.

Hormone Replacement Therapy:

This is a treatment option proposed after treatment of pituitary tumors or when the pituitary gland’s function declines, necessitating the replacement of necessary hormones.