Pituitary Adenomas
Back to Pituitary TumorsWhat are pituitary tumors
Although rare, most pituitary tumors are non-cancerous (benign). However, because of the location of the pituitary gland, at the base of the skull, a pituitary tumor grows upward. And, eventually, most pituitary tumors press against the optic nerves, causing vision problems.A tumor in the pituitary gland causes symptoms by either releasing too much of a hormone or by pressing on the gland causing it to release too little hormone. The symptoms experienced from the pituitary tumor are often determined by the type of tumor. A tumor that secretes hormones produces symptoms by releasing too much of the hormone.
Some tumors cause the gland to stop releasing enough hormones. In this case symptoms arise from lack of hormones. A pituitary tumor may also cause symptoms by growing and pressing on the structures, like the nerves to the eyes, surrounding the gland.
Pituitary Tumors
The most frequent cause of pituitary disorders is pituitary tumors. The pituitary gland is made of several cell types. Each cell type releases one of the hormones mentioned above. Sometimes these cells grow too much or produce small growths.These growths are called pituitary tumors, and they are fairly common in adults. These are not brain tumors and are not a form of cancer. Cancerous tumors of this sort are extremely rare. Pituitary tumors can interfere with the normal formation and release of hormones, however. In addition, some pituitary tumors make too much of the type of hormone produced by the pituitary cells forming the tumor.
Common cause of pituitary disorders
The most common cause of pituitary disorders is pituitary tumors. There are two types of pituitary tumors and they are usually noncancerous abnormal growths of pituitary cells.Tumors that produce too much of specific hormones (such as prolactin, ACTH, and TSH) are called secretory tumors. A non-secretory tumor interferes with the ability of the normal pituitary gland to make hormones. Any change in the normal balance of the pituitary hormones causes problems within the body. In addition, as a tumor mass grows, it presses against the normal pituitary gland or other areas in the brain causing headaches, vision problems, and too little hormone secretion.
Blood and urine tests as well as X-ray, CT scan, or MRI may be used for detecting pituitary disorders. Treatment depends on the nature of the problem. Hormone replacement therapy is common for replacing a low supply of hormones. Tumors are removed by radiation or surgery.
Because a variety of symptoms exist for pituitary disorders and tumors, people are often misdiagnosed, especially as tumors grow.
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Treatment
Treatment may include:- surgical removal of the tumor
- external radiation (external beam therapy) - a treatment that precisely sends high levels of radiation directly to the cancer cells. The machine is controlled by the radiation therapist. Since radiation is used to kill cancer cells and to shrink tumors, special shields may be used to protect the tissue surrounding the treatment area. Radiation treatments are painless and usually last a few minutes.
- stereotactic radiation therapy - a new radiation therapy that uses a single high dose of radiation sent directly into the cancerous tissue with very narrow beams of radiation. This is a precise technique that targets the cancer tumor, causing less damage to the surrounding tissues. An example of stereotactic radiation is called “gamma knife”.
- medications - to control the growth-hormone production by the tumor (i.e., bromocriptine - a drug which acts on hormone-producing tumors to suppress its hormone-producing function).
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