Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentPrognosisCoping

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Types

Symptoms

Causes

Diagnosis

Treatment

Prognosis

Coping

Apituitarytumor is an abnormal growth of cells in thepituitary gland.These growths are almost always benign, but some can be cancer. The most common pituitary tumor is thepituitary adenoma.

The pituitary gland is an essential hormone-secreting gland. It’s a small piece of tissue located at the base of the brain. Therefore, pituitary tumors are a type ofbrain tumor.

The pituitary gland is part of the body’sendocrine system, which produces hormones. The pituitary gland releases hormones that control many needed bodily functions. These hormones play a role in reproduction, childhood growth, metabolism, stress response, and thyroid function.

This article will provide an overview of pituitary tumors of all types, including their symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.

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Doctor reviews brain imaging on on a tablet

Types of Pituitary Tumor

Pituitary tumors can be cancerous (malignant) or noncancerous (benign). Most pituitary tumors are noncancerous.

The most common pituitary tumor is thepituitary adenoma. Pituitary adenomas are divided into two types, as follows:

Pituitary tumors are divided into two types based on their effect on the body.Functional tumorsproduce hormones that impact other body functions.Nonfunctional tumorsdo not change the body’s hormone levels.Functioning tumors cause varying effects based on which hormone levels they change.

Functional pituitary adenomas often have special names based on their impact on hormone levels and the unusual symptoms that sometimes follow.

For example, a prolactinoma, or lactotroph adenoma, is a pituitary adenoma that causes the gland to release too much prolactin, leading to irregular menstrual periods anderectile dysfunction. Prolactinoma is the most common hormone-producing pituitary tumor.

Other functional adenomas include:

Because the pituitary gland controls many of the body’s hormones, functional tumors that disrupt these hormones can cause many symptoms.

Generally, pituitary tumors can cause problems that include:

A drop in hormone levels due to a pituitary tumor, calledhypopituitarism, can cause:

On the other hand, increases in pituitary hormones from a tumor, called hyperpituitarism, can cause:

Cyst vs. Tumor: What Are the Differences?

Some pituitary tumors result from genetic diseases calledmultiple endocrine neoplasias(MEN). This group of hereditary illnesses causes tumors on the hormone-producing organs, including the pituitary gland. These tumors may be cancerous, but they are also often benign.

Other genetic diseases that may cause a pituitary tumor include:

Most of the time, though, the cause of pituitary tumors is unknown.

Healthcare providers diagnose pituitary tumors using various tests:

Many noncancerous tumors may not need treatment. They may have been discovered incidentally while testing for another condition, or they may be very slow-growing and not cause symptoms.

If hormone changes due to the tumor are causing symptoms, medications such as the following can help many avoid surgery:

When medications are no longer helping, or the tumor is causing significant visual symptoms, the treatment forpituitary tumors is surgery.

Nonfunctional pituitary tumors may benefit from external radiation therapy to kill cancer cells instead of surgery. Medications like chemotherapy may also help shrink the tumor, especially when surgery isn’t an option.

The prognosis of a pituitary tumor depends on what type of tumor it is, if it’s cancerous or not, and if it’s functional.

Most pituitary tumors are not severe. They often are silent, do not cause symptoms, and are discovered through testing for another disorder. Many people can live for a long time with a pituitary tumor.

While pituitary tumors are rarely diagnosed, they may be more common than thought. Imaging tests on people who have died from other causes indicate that about 25% of people have pituitary adenomas without knowing it.

A pituitary tumor can be life-threatening if it is:

A diagnosis of a pituitary tumor can be very upsetting. It is normal to have ongoing concerns about the tumor, even if it is not producing symptoms or you have been successfully treated for it.Work with your treatment team to get answers to any questions about your prognosis, treatment options, and side effects and challenges you may face.

Ask your family and friends for emotional and physical support after diagnosis and during treatment. You may benefit from a support group of people who have faced a pituitary tumor or similar health challenge. A mental health professional or counselor may also be able to help you through this difficult time.

Summary

Pituitary tumors are clumps of cells that grow in a part of the brain called the pituitary gland. This gland controls vital actions in the body.

Pituitary tumors may be cancerous and spread to the brain and body. But most often, they are benign. Pituitary adenomas are the most common type of pituitary tumor. Pituitary carcinoma is the name for cancer in the pituitary gland. This is very rare.

A pituitary tumor can cause vision changes, headaches, and other signs of hormonal changes. Sometimes, people need to take drugs to control the symptoms of a pituitary tumor. If pituitary tumors grow too large, they may need surgery.

A Word From Verywell

If you’ve been diagnosed with a pituitary tumor, know that they have an excellent outlook in most cases. Many do not have symptoms, and most are well-controlled with treatments. If you’re worried about your symptoms, talk to your healthcare provider.

14 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Cancer Institute.Definition of pituitary tumor.American Cancer Society.What are pituitary tumors?American Cancer Society.Key statistics about pituitary tumors.National Cancer Institute.Pituitary tumors treatment (PDQ®)–patient version.American Cancer Society.Treatment of functional (hormone-making) pituitary tumors.American Cancer Society.Treatment of pituitary carcinomas.American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of pituitary tumors.Kim SY.Diagnosis and treatment of hypopituitarism.Endocrinol Metab. 2015;30(4):443-455. doi:10.3803/EnM.2015.30.4.443Wang AR, Gill JR.The pituitary gland: an infrequent but multifaceted contributor to death.Acad Forensic Pathol. 2016;6(2):206-216. doi:10.23907/2016.023American Cancer Society.Risk factors for pituitary tumors.American Cancer Society.Tests for pituitary tumors.National Organization for Rare Disorders.Prolactinoma.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Acromegaly.American Cancer Society.Living as a pituitary tumor survivor.

14 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Cancer Institute.Definition of pituitary tumor.American Cancer Society.What are pituitary tumors?American Cancer Society.Key statistics about pituitary tumors.National Cancer Institute.Pituitary tumors treatment (PDQ®)–patient version.American Cancer Society.Treatment of functional (hormone-making) pituitary tumors.American Cancer Society.Treatment of pituitary carcinomas.American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of pituitary tumors.Kim SY.Diagnosis and treatment of hypopituitarism.Endocrinol Metab. 2015;30(4):443-455. doi:10.3803/EnM.2015.30.4.443Wang AR, Gill JR.The pituitary gland: an infrequent but multifaceted contributor to death.Acad Forensic Pathol. 2016;6(2):206-216. doi:10.23907/2016.023American Cancer Society.Risk factors for pituitary tumors.American Cancer Society.Tests for pituitary tumors.National Organization for Rare Disorders.Prolactinoma.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Acromegaly.American Cancer Society.Living as a pituitary tumor survivor.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

National Cancer Institute.Definition of pituitary tumor.American Cancer Society.What are pituitary tumors?American Cancer Society.Key statistics about pituitary tumors.National Cancer Institute.Pituitary tumors treatment (PDQ®)–patient version.American Cancer Society.Treatment of functional (hormone-making) pituitary tumors.American Cancer Society.Treatment of pituitary carcinomas.American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of pituitary tumors.Kim SY.Diagnosis and treatment of hypopituitarism.Endocrinol Metab. 2015;30(4):443-455. doi:10.3803/EnM.2015.30.4.443Wang AR, Gill JR.The pituitary gland: an infrequent but multifaceted contributor to death.Acad Forensic Pathol. 2016;6(2):206-216. doi:10.23907/2016.023American Cancer Society.Risk factors for pituitary tumors.American Cancer Society.Tests for pituitary tumors.National Organization for Rare Disorders.Prolactinoma.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Acromegaly.American Cancer Society.Living as a pituitary tumor survivor.

National Cancer Institute.Definition of pituitary tumor.

American Cancer Society.What are pituitary tumors?

American Cancer Society.Key statistics about pituitary tumors.

National Cancer Institute.Pituitary tumors treatment (PDQ®)–patient version.

American Cancer Society.Treatment of functional (hormone-making) pituitary tumors.

American Cancer Society.Treatment of pituitary carcinomas.

American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of pituitary tumors.

Kim SY.Diagnosis and treatment of hypopituitarism.Endocrinol Metab. 2015;30(4):443-455. doi:10.3803/EnM.2015.30.4.443

Wang AR, Gill JR.The pituitary gland: an infrequent but multifaceted contributor to death.Acad Forensic Pathol. 2016;6(2):206-216. doi:10.23907/2016.023

American Cancer Society.Risk factors for pituitary tumors.

American Cancer Society.Tests for pituitary tumors.

National Organization for Rare Disorders.Prolactinoma.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Acromegaly.

American Cancer Society.Living as a pituitary tumor survivor.

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