How serious is a tumor on the pituitary gland?

Most of these tumors are not cancerous. Pituitary cancer is very rare. Still, the tumors can cause serious problems, either because of their size (large tumors) or because they make extra hormones your body doesn't need (functioning tumors). They're typically treated with surgery, medicine, or radiation.

Is a tumor in the pituitary gland life threatening?

In general, when a pituitary tumor is not cured, people live out their lives but may have to deal with problems caused by the tumor or its treatment, such as vision problems or hormone levels that are too high or too low.

What is the survival rate for pituitary tumor?

The 5-year survival rate tells you what percent of people live at least 5 years after the tumor is found. Percent means how many out of 100. The 5-year survival rate for people with a pituitary gland tumor is 97%. Survival rates depend on the type of tumor, the person's age, and other factors.

Do pituitary tumors have to be removed?

Surgical removal of a pituitary tumor usually is necessary if the tumor is pressing on the optic nerves or if the tumor is overproducing certain hormones. The success of surgery depends on the tumor type, its location, its size and whether the tumor has invaded surrounding tissues.

Should I be worried about pituitary tumor?

Even when a pituitary tumor never comes back, people still worry about it. For years after treatment ends, you will see your doctor. Be sure to go to all of these follow-up visits. You will have exams, blood tests, and maybe other tests to see if the tumor has come back.

Pituitary tumors: Symptoms and treatments

When is a pituitary tumor an emergency?

When the tumor enlarges it often causes headache. On rare occasion there is a sudden, severe headache from bleeding into the tumor. This is called pituitary apoplexy and is a medical emergency.

What happens if pituitary tumor is left untreated?

Most pituitary tumors are curable, but if left untreated, they can lead to serious complications such as complete vision loss.

How long are you in the hospital after pituitary tumor surgery?

Recovery Time at the Hospital

A typical hospital admission for patients undergoing pituitary tumor surgery lasts 2 to 3 days; overnight in the intensive care unit (ICU) and 1or 2 more on the nursing floor.

How successful is pituitary tumor surgery?

The success rate is about 60% with growth-hormone secreting macroadenomas [2]. Some pituitary tumors remain surgically incurable due to invasion of the cavernous sinuses and other important structures.

How do you know if a pituitary tumor is cancerous?

How is pituitary cancer diagnosed? MRI or CT scans can detect tumors in the pituitary gland. And blood and urine tests can determine hormone levels. Even under a microscope, it's difficult to recognize the difference between a cancerous and a noncancerous pituitary tumor.

Is a pituitary tumor considered a brain tumor?

“Pituitary tumours arise from the pituitary gland that lies on the floor on the inside of the skull, underneath and separate from the brain, back behind the eyes. These are not brain tumours, and the pituitary is not part of the brain itself.

What is the treatment for a tumor on the pituitary gland?

There are three types of treatment used for pituitary tumors: surgical removal of the tumor, radiation therapy using high-dose x-rays to kill tumor cells and medication therapy to shrink or eradicate the tumor.

What are the chances of a pituitary tumor being cancerous?

Is a pituitary tumor cancer? No, in over 99% of patients, this is NOT a cancer; it is benign. Although the tumor is benign, it can cause problems because of its size, causing loss of vision, loss of normal pituitary function (hypopituitarism) and/or headache or because of excessive hormone production by the tumor.

How fast does pituitary tumor grow?

How fast do pituitary tumors grow? Most pituitary tumors are slow growing, approximately 1-3mm/year.

Where does your head hurt with a pituitary tumor?

A person with pituitary tumor apoplexy usually has a sudden-onset, severe headache at the front of the head (either located on one side of the head or both) and/or behind one or both eyes.

What causes tumors on the pituitary gland?

Tumors can be caused by DNA changes that turn on oncogenes or turn off tumor suppressor genes. Some people inherit gene mutations (changes) from their parents that greatly increase their risk for developing pituitary tumors.

What are the side effects of pituitary tumor surgery?

Side effects from pituitary tumor surgery are uncommon, but can occur. This includes damage to large arteries, nearby brain tissue, or nerves near the pituitary. In rare cases, these can cause brain damage, a stroke, or blindness. In rare cases, the membranes around the brain (meninges) may get infected.

Is pituitary surgery brain surgery?

Another type of surgery to remove a pituitary tumor is called a craniotomy. This procedure involves making an incision in the patient's scalp and removing a piece of bone from the skull. The neurosurgeon can then find and remove the tumor, or as much as the tumor as possible without risk of severe damage to the brain.

Can a pituitary tumor change your personality?

Personality changes are also common when a pituitary tumour causes the pituitary gland to over- or under-produce hormones. This can affect your emotions and cause changes in your sex drive. Larger tumours can have a greater effect on personality, as they generally affect a greater area of the brain.

Is pituitary surgery painful?

The cuts the doctor made (incisions) may be sore for about 5 days after surgery. You may also have numbness and shooting pains near your wound, or swelling and bruising around your eyes. As your wound starts to heal, it may start to itch. Medicines and ice packs can help with headaches, pain, swelling, and itching.

Can you live without your pituitary gland?

You can live without your pituitary gland as long as you take medication to replace the pituitary hormones that you're missing. The pituitary gland hormones are very important for maintaining several bodily functions. An untreated lack of all the pituitary hormones is life-threatening.

How will I feel after pituitary surgery?

If you had surgery through your skull, you will probably feel very tired for several weeks after surgery. You may also have headaches or problems concentrating. It can take up to 6 weeks to fully recover. The cuts the doctor made (incisions) may be sore for about 5 days after surgery.

What would be symptoms of a person with a pituitary tumor?

Can stress cause pituitary tumors?

There are reliable research studies showing severe stress, childhood trauma, and/or physical trauma increase the likelihood of the development of a pituitary tumor.

Do pituitary tumors run in families?

Most people who develop pituitary tumors don't have a family history of the disease. But rarely, pituitary tumors can run in families. Sometimes when pituitary tumors run in families, they are found along with other types of tumors as part of an inherited genetic syndrome (see the next section).