Pituitary Tumors

Overview

Pituitary tumors are unusual growths that develop in the pituitary gland (the small gland in your head that produces hormones that regulate growth, blood pressure and reproduction). Most pituitary tumors are benign (non-cancerous); these are known as adenomas. Adenomas do not spread beyond the pituitary gland and typically don’t cause any issues.

Pituitary tumor causes

Pituitary tumors are caused by uncontrolled growth of the cells of the pituitary gland.

Pituitary tumor risk factors

Having a family history of certain conditions, such as multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN 1), may increase your risk of developing a pituitary tumor.

Pituitary tumor symptoms

Signs and symptoms of a pituitary tumor can include:

• Decreased or absent menstrual periods (in women)
• Feeling of coldness
• Headache
• Increased amount of urine
• Nausea
• Sexual issues
• Unintentional weight loss or gain
• Vision loss, especially of peripheral (side) vision
• Vomiting
• Weakness

Pituitary tumor diagnosis

Your oncologist may use one or more of the following tests to diagnose this condition:

• Physical exam – your doctor will perform a complete physical exam, including asking questions about your health history, symptoms and related risk factors. As part of the physical exam, your doctor may perform vision testing, which can help determine if you have any vision-related effects from the pituitary tumor.
• Blood test – your doctor sends a sample of your blood to the laboratory for close analysis. The lab can determine if your body is creating too much or too little of certain hormones that could indicate you have a pituitary tumor.
• Computerized tomography (CT) scan – this type of imaging test provides a 3D image of the inside of the body that your doctor can use to determine the size and location of a pituitary tumor.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – this type of imaging test uses high-powered magnets to create detailed images of the inside of your body. Your doctor can closely examine these images to determine the size and location of a pituitary tumor.
• Urine test – your doctor sends a sample of your urine to the laboratory for close analysis. The lab can determine if your body is creating too much or too little of certain hormones that could indicate you have a pituitary tumor.

Pituitary tumor treatment

Depending on your personal health history, the extent of the pituitary tumor and other factors, your oncologist may recommend one or more of the following treatment options:

• Ongoing monitoring – in many cases, people who have pituitary tumors won’t need to undergo treatment – or at least not right away. If you don’t need initial treatment, your doctor will continue to monitor your tumor for growth or any additional symptoms.
• Surgery – if your pituitary tumor is pressing on the optic (eye) nerves or if the tumor is causing your body to create too much of certain hormones, you will likely need to undergo a surgical procedure to have the tumor removed. Depending on the size and location of the tumor, as well as other factors, your surgeon may be able to remove the tumor through your nose and sinuses without an external incision (endoscopic transnasal transsphenoidal approach), or your surgeon may need to remove the tumor through an incision in your skull (transcranial approach, or craniotomy).
• Medications – in some situations, your doctor may be able to prescribe medications to stop the tumor from creating excess amounts of hormones or to help the tumor shrink.
• Radiation therapy – this treatment uses high-powered energy beams to destroy cancerous cells. You may need to undergo radiation therapy to destroy any cancerous cells that couldn’t be removed surgically.

When should I seek care?

If you experience any of these symptoms, start by voicing your concerns and symptoms to your primary care provider. From there, your doctor may suggest seeing an oncologist for more specialized treatment.