Can Gamma Knife be used for pituitary tumors?

1. Gamma knife therapy is an effective method of delivering radiation to pituitary tumors that have failed surgery and may be used as primary treatment in circumstances in which the patient refuses or is unsuitable for a transsphenoidal procedure.

What is the most common type of surgical approach to treating a pituitary adenoma?

Endoscopic pituitary surgery, also called transsphenoidal endoscopic surgery, is the most common surgery used to remove pituitary tumors. The pituitary gland is located at the bottom of your brain and above the inside of your nose.

What is the best investigation for pituitary adenoma?

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan They are very helpful in looking at the brain and spinal cord and are considered to be the best way to find pituitary tumors of all types. MRI images are usually more detailed than those from CT scans (see below).

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.

What is Hypopituitary?

Hypopituitarism is a rare disorder in which your pituitary gland fails to produce one or more hormones, or doesn’t produce enough hormones. The pituitary gland is a kidney-bean-sized gland situated at the base of your brain.

How do you shrink a pituitary tumor?

Drugs called dopamine agonists can stop prolactinomas from making too much prolactin and shrink these tumors. Drugs are often the only treatment needed. Cabergoline (Dostinex) and bromocriptine (Parlodel) are most commonly used.

Is pituitary adenoma curable?

Most pituitary tumors are curable. If a pituitary tumor is diagnosed early, the outlook for recovery is usually excellent. However, if tumors grow large enough, or grow rapidly, they are more likely to cause problems and will be more difficult to treat.

How serious is a pituitary adenoma?

It is always important to keep in mind that even large pituitary adenomas are not cancer, but if left untreated, it can cause serious illness because of its effects on the normal pituitary gland, optic nerves, and brain.

Do pituitary tumors grow back after surgery?

Despite advances in surgical and radiotherapy techniques, tumor control is not always achieved; thus, data from our centers, as well as from other departments, suggest 5-year regrowth rates of 15\% to 66\% after surgery alone (6–9) and 2\% to 28\% after surgery followed by adjuvant radiotherapy (6, 7, 10, 11).

How long is recovery from pituitary adenoma surgery?

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. You may also have numbness and shooting pains near your wound, or swelling and bruising around your eyes.

How fast do pituitary tumors grow?

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

How can I improve my pituitary function?

Tips for pituitary gland health

1. eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, which are great sources of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
2. choosing good sources of fats, such as those that contain omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fats.
3. opting for whole grains over refined grains.
4. reducing sodium intake.

What is the Gamma Knife for pituitary adenomas?

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) New Brunswick now offers the Gamma Knife, a noninvasive treatment of pituitary adenomas. The pituitary gland is a small, pea-sized organ in the brain behind the back of the nose.

What are the types of pituitary adenomas?

Treatment for Pituitary Adenomas Using the Gamma Knife 1 Non-Functional Adenomas (Null Cell Adenomas) These tumors are the most common type… 2 Prolactin-Producing Tumors (Prolactinomas) These benign tumors are also common. 3 Growth Hormone-Producing Tumors. Growth hormone-producing tumors secrete too much growth hormone.

What is a pituitary tumor?

The pituitary gland produces hormones that affect many other glands in the body. Although rare, most pituitary tumors are noncancerous (benign), comprising only 7 percent of brain tumors. However, because of the location of the pituitary gland, at the base of the skull, a pituitary tumor grows upward.