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Pitutiary Disease Symptoms

Back to Pituitary Tumors



What 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.

What are pituitary adenomas?

Pituitary adenomas are benign tumors (meaning that they are non-cancerous and do not travel to other parts of the body) that arise exclusively within the anterior pituitary. Although it can be frightening to have a tumor beneath the brain, it is important to note that these tumors are generally non-aggressive, non-cancerous and non-metastatic.

Adenomas are basically growths found on or within the pituitary gland. In fact, these tumors are quite common representing 10-15 % of all intracranial tumors. Adenomas are by far the most common disease affecting the pituitary and are usually found in people in their 30s or 40s. Many of these tumors can be successfully treated.

Pituitary tumors can vary in their 1) size, 2) secretory patterns, 3) aggressiveness, and 4) invasiveness (growth of tumor into surrounding brain and skull).

Although most adenomas are benign, small, and slow-growing, some tumors can be associated with disability and occasional death.

These problems are related to the sensitive location of the pituitary gland: 1) the internal carotid arteries (supplying blood to the front part of the brain) and large veins are located next to the edges of the pituitary gland, 2) the optic nerves (carry visual information) cross above the pituitary gland, 3) multiple cranial nerves (that control important functions in the head and neck) pass near the pituitary gland, and 4) the pituitary lies near the brain cortex (the outer surface of the brain).



Causes and types of tumors

Researchers do not know at this time what causes pituitary tumors.
The most common type of pituitary tumor is called an endocrine inactive tumor, which destroys some of the hormone-producing cells in the pituitary.

An endocrine inactive tumor causes hypopituitarism, or an underactive pituitary gland, which may lead to failure of sexual function, reduced sperm production, and cessation of a woman's menstrual period.

Another common pituitary tumor is called a prolactinoma, a benign tumor that produces the prolactin hormone. Prolactin stimulates breast milk production after childbirth.

Other types of tumors act on other parts of the pituitary, with varying effects.

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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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