Normally, cells in the body grow and divide to replace old or damaged cells. This growth is highly regulated, and once when enough cells are produced to replace the old, normal cells stop dividing. Tumors occur when there is an error in this regulation, and the cells continue to grow in an uncontrolled manner. Tumors can be benign or malignant. Benign tumors represent uncontrolled growth. Malignant tumors, however, grow uncontrolled in such a way that they invade and damage other tissues around them.
Pituitary adenoma
Pituitary adenomas are benign growths of glandular tissue that grow almost always the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland.
Symptoms
There are two general types of pituitary adenomas. Adenomas that grow in size are called macroadenomas. These can put pressure on nearby structures due to their increasing size. Most commonly, because the pituitary gland sits directly below the optic chiasm, macroadenomas can affect vision. This is usually presented as loss of peripheral vision on both sides,
Adenomas remain small are called microadenomas. If these symptoms occur, is because they produce excessive amounts of hormones, although macroadenomas can also secrete and produce hormones. For example, prolactin-secreting adenomas may result in the production of breast milk.
Some adenomas do not produce any symptoms. Most of them are found incidentally during a check of another unrelated problem.
Diagnosis
Most are discovered pituitary adenomas because they produce symptoms, or direct pressure due to its large size (in the case of macroadenomas), or because they secrete hormones. Occasionally, pituitary adenomas are detected when taking pictures of the brain for some reason unrelated.
The blood test can be performed for excess hormone production. Often, these hormones can be measured directly from a blood sample, although in some cases, additional tests are needed to distinguish whether the abnormalities in blood tests are due to a pituitary tumor or due to some other cause. Many of these tests are specific to the hormone that is produced. These
Treatment
Surgery
Currently, the most common therapy for pituitary adenomas (except prolactin adenomas, also known as prolactinomas) is surgical resection. For non-secreting macroadenomas, surgery removes the excess tissue and relieves pressure on surrounding tissues adenoma. For secretory adenomas, surgery often results in a rapid decrease in the overproduction of the hormone.
External beam radiation therapy
Radiation therapy can also be used in the treatment of pituitary adenomas, although in most cases, not used as first line treatment. The radiation comes in the form of high energy x-rays that are delivered to patient only in the areas at highest risk for cancer. These pictures are similar to those used for diagnostic x-rays, only a much higher energy.
Medical therapy
for some hormone-secreting pituitary adenomas, treatment with medication rather than surgery or radiation can be effective, and is often the first treatment tried for these types of adenomas.
Treatment options for pituitary cancer
generally, treatment with a combination of surgery and radiotherapy is used for pituitary carcinoma. These are rare cancers, and unfortunately the end result with any of these methods is often poor, especially in the setting of the disease has spread to another part of the central nervous system.