Pituitary Gland Tumor

The pituitary gland is a pea-sized endocrine gland located at the base of the brain. The pituitary helps control the release of hormones from other endocrine glands, such as the thyroid and adrenal glands. The pituitary also releases hormones that directly affect body tissues, such as bones and the breast's milk glands.

Most pituitary tumors are noncancerous (benign). Up to 20% of people have pituitary tumors. However, many of these tumors do not cause symptoms and are never diagnosed during the person's lifetime.

Pituitary tumors are usually not cancerous and therefore won't spread to other areas of the body. However, as they grow, they may place pressure on important nerves and blood vessels. Surgery to remove the tumor is often necessary, especially if the tumor is pressing on the optic nerves, which could cause blindness. Most of the time, pituitary tumors can be removed through the nose and sinuses. However, some tumors cannot be removed this way and will need to be removed through the skull (transcranial). Radiation therapy may be used to shrink the tumor, either in combination with surgery or for people who cannot have surgery. Medications may also be used to shrink certain types of tumors

Source: MedlinePlus:  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000704.htm 

Key Point 1

Pituitary gland tumors have many varied symptoms and some, in fact, have no symptoms.  Even experts often misdiagnose the condition, or it can go undiagnosed altogether.  You must pursue a diagnosis if you are experiencing life altering symptoms.

Key Point 2

Pituitary gland tumor treatment is based on the specific type of tumor it is and the symptoms that it is causing.  There are many treatment options, and treatment is very successful.

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 Conduct an off-site search and learn about pituitary gland tumors from MedlinePlus.  These up-to-date search results are based on search terms specific to Second Opinion Key Points.

• Pituitary Tumors
• Pituitary Disorders
• Cushings Syndrome

Resources

There are a very large number of organizations dedicated to helping people learn about pituitary gland tumors. This is only a partial list.

Pituitary Network Association (PNA):  The PNA is an international non-profit organization for patients with pituitary tumors and disorders, their families, loved ones, and the physicians and health care providers who treat them.

The Pituitary Society:  The Pituitary Society is an organization dedicated to furthering the understanding of diseases of the pituitary gland. Our membership is comprised of researchers and clinicians from all over the world.

University of Rochester Medical Center:  One of the nation's top academic medical centers, the University of Rochester Medical Center forms the centerpiece of the University's health research, teaching, patient care, and community outreach missions.