Pituitary tumors are abnormal growths in your pituitary gland. They are common, and many are benign meaning they are not cancerous.
What is a pituitary tumor?
When abnormal cells inside the pituitary gland grow out of control, they become a pituitary tumor (also known as a pituitary adenoma). This uncontrolled growth can disrupt the normal function of the pituitary gland, which plays a crucial role in regulating many of the body's hormones. These tumors are a type of neuroendocrine tumor, which are commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas or lungs. They can vary greatly; some grow very slowly and don’t cause significant problems while others can be more aggressive. AHN is here to help you understand your options and create a tailored treatment plan.
AHN Pituitary Center
At the AHN Pituitary Center, our team of expert physicians and healthcare providers specializes in the comprehensive care for people with pituitary gland disorders, including pituitary tumors. Our multidisciplinary team includes specialists in neurosurgery, endocrinology, and other key areas, all collaborating to provide you with the most advanced and efficient pituitary tumor treatment tailored to your specific condition. From initial pituitary tumor diagnosis to personalized management plans, our coordinated approach delivers a smooth, prompt, and effective care experience.
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AHN Pituitary Center
320 East North Avenue, Hemlock Building, 2nd Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
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Why choose AHN for your pituitary tumor
At AHN, we focus on more than treating the tumor. We focus on caring for the whole person. Your care team works with you to understand your symptoms, concerns, goals, and preferences so we can build a treatment plan that supports your health and quality of life. Our teams work in a multidisciplinary manner, where multiple specialists coordinate to deliver your care.
We’re highly skilled in performing neurosurgeries, and we see more people with pituitary tumors than most other hospitals in western Pennsylvania. We successfully treat patients, so they can feel better and get back to living a full life.
Pituitary tumor symptoms and signs
The pituitary gland is located at the base of your brain, near the optic nerve. Pituitary tumors are common, affecting approximately one in every four people—according to the American Cancer Society. Yet many people never realize they have a pituitary tumor because these tumors don’t always cause symptoms or medical problems.
Tumors may cause a wide range of symptoms. The symptoms you experience often depend on whether (and how) the tumor affects your body’s hormone levels.
- A functional tumor creates excess hormones. It could affect your body’s levels of growth hormone, reproductive hormones, or thyroid stimulating hormone.
- A nonfunctional tumor doesn’t create excess hormones, but as it grows, it can put pressure on the pituitary gland or nearby nerves.
Someone with a pituitary tumor could experience one or more of these symptoms:
- Headaches
- Vision problems
- Unintentional weight loss or gain
- Changes in your menstrual period (irregular or skipped periods)
- Prominent changes to facial features
- Large hands and feet
- Irritability, anxiety, or depression
Causes and risk factors
Currently, the exact causes of most pituitary tumors are not fully understood. In the vast majority of cases, they develop spontaneously without any clear reason.
However, there are a few known genetic conditions that can increase the likelihood of developing a pituitary tumor:
- Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1): This is the most common genetic syndrome associated with pituitary tumors. Individuals with MEN1 have a higher risk of developing tumors in several endocrine glands, including the pituitary, parathyroid, and pancreas.
- Carney complex: This rare genetic disorder can also lead to various tumors, including pituitary adenomas.
- Familial isolated pituitary adenoma (FIPA): This is a genetic predisposition where two or more family members have pituitary adenomas, often due to mutations in specific genes like AIP.
- Family history: While most pituitary tumors are sporadic, having a close family member (parent, sibling, child) with a pituitary tumor might slightly increase one's own risk, even if a specific genetic syndrome isn't identified.
Pituitary tumor screening and diagnosis
We understand that undergoing tests can be a concern, which is why at the AHN Pituitary Center, we strive to make the diagnostic process as clear and efficient as possible. We perform comprehensive testing to precisely characterize the pituitary tumor and understand its potential effects on your body. To streamline your care and minimize multiple visits, we often coordinate many of these tests to be performed on a single day. Our goal is to reduce unnecessary stress and visits, so we can move from diagnosis to developing your care plan as smoothly as possible.
After a thorough physical examination and detailed discussion of your symptoms and medical history, your physician may recommend some testing and imaging.
Ophthalmologic testing
Because pituitary tumors can sometimes press on the optic nerves, affecting vision, we perform specialized eye exams. This may include visual field testing to check your peripheral vision, and other advanced tests like optical coherence tomography (OCT), or even a full eye exam by a neuro-ophthalmologist. These tests help us evaluate the optic nerve and surrounding visual pathways for any impact from the tumor.
Bloodwork and lab tests
Pituitary tumors can either produce too many hormones or, less commonly, prevent the pituitary gland from producing enough. Our endocrinologists will recommend a series of specialized lab tests and bloodwork to measure your hormone levels. This helps us determine if (and how) a tumor is affecting the pituitary gland’s function, such as growth hormone, thyroid hormone, cortisol, or prolactin levels.
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) or CT (computed tomography) scan
These advanced imaging techniques are essential for pituitary tumor diagnosis. An MRI scan of the brain and pituitary gland, often with a contrast dye, is typically the most detailed imaging used. It can confirm the presence of a pituitary tumor, precisely show its size, exact location, and how close it is to vital structures like the optic nerves or blood vessels. In some cases, a CT scan might also be used to provide complementary information, especially regarding bone structures.
Types and stages of pituitary tumor
Understanding the specific type and characteristics of your pituitary tumor is a key step in developing the most effective treatment plan. While the medical terms can sometimes sound complex, our team is here to explain everything in clear, understandable language. We want you to feel fully informed and confident in the personalized care you receive, knowing that each type of tumor has a well-established approach.
Types of pituitary tumors
Our pituitary neuroendocrine care team treats a wide range of pituitary tumors, including:
- Pituitary adenoma: These are the most common type of pituitary tumor. Physicians characterize these benign (noncancerous) growths based on which hormone the tumor secretes (like prolactin or growth hormone) or if they don't produce hormones. While generally benign, they can still cause problems due to their size or location.
- Craniopharyngioma: This rare tumor grows near, but typically outside, the pituitary gland itself. It occurs more commonly in children than adults and can affect vision and hormone production.
- Meningioma: This benign tumor grows on the meninges, the protective coverings for the brain and spinal cord, often near the pituitary gland. While not originating from the pituitary, their proximity means they can sometimes present with similar symptoms or be discovered during evaluations of the pituitary region.
- Pituitary carcinoma: While extremely rate, these pituitary tumors care malignant (cancerous) and can spread to different parts of the body if left untreated.
Staging of pituitary tumors
Unlike many other types of cancer that use a numerical staging system (like Stage I, II, III), pituitary tumors, particularly pituitary adenomas, are generally categorized based on their size and invasiveness rather than a formal "stage." This helps guide treatment decisions:
- Microadenoma: These are small tumors, less than 1 centimeter (or about 0.4 inches) in diameter. They are often discovered incidentally and may or may not produce hormones.
- Macroadenoma: These are larger tumors, 1 centimeter or more in diameter. Due to their size, macroadenomas are more likely to press on surrounding structures, such as the optic nerves, leading to symptoms like vision changes. They can also affect hormone production.
- Invasive adenoma: This refers to a tumor that has grown beyond the boundaries of the pituitary gland and into nearby structures. While still usually benign (non-cancerous), their invasive nature can make them more challenging to treat.
Our specialists use these classifications, along with your specific symptoms and imaging results, to create a tailored treatment plan designed just for you.
Pituitary tumor treatment
If you have a pituitary tumor, AHN’s physicians work together to develop a treatment plan that’s personalized to your needs and preferences. We are here to answer questions and support you during your treatment, recovery, and beyond.
Before recommending treatment, your care team will consider:
- The size and type of a pituitary tumor
- Whether a tumor affects your body’s hormone levels
- Which hormones are affected
- Your symptoms
We use the latest technologies and therapies to treat patients. Your physician may recommend one or more of these treatments:
- Medication: Medications work in different ways to block or lower hormone levels in the body.
- Radiation therapy: Stereotactic radiosurgery involves a nonsurgical outpatient procedure that delivers a single, focused, high dose of radiation to a tumor. Our sophisticated and precise dosing enables our surgeons to treat tumors of different shapes and sizes.
- Surgery: Our fellowship-trained surgeons have expertise in performing open skull base surgery and endoscopic endonasal neurosurgery. In endoscopic endonasal surgery, physicians use innovative techniques to remove tumors through the nose. It is highly effective, with many patients experiencing fewer side effects and a quicker recovery. Read more about the benefits of minimally invasive neurosurgery.
See why so many people choose AHN for pituitary neuroendocrine care.
Pituitary tumor FAQs
Understanding pituitary tumors, their risk factors, treatment options, and growth rates can help you feel more confident in the care you’ll receive at AHN.
What causes pituitary tumor?
In most cases, the exact cause of a pituitary tumor is not known. These tumors usually develop spontaneously, meaning they aren't linked to lifestyle choices or environmental factors. While rare genetic conditions like Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) or Carney Complex can increase the risk, the vast majority of people with a pituitary tumor do not have these inherited syndromes. Researchers continue to study the cellular mechanisms behind their development, but for most individuals, they are not preventable.
What happens if a pituitary tumor goes untreated?
If a pituitary tumor goes untreated, the consequences depend heavily on its size, location, and whether it's producing hormones (functional) or not (non-functional). Untreated functional tumors can lead to significant health issues due to excess hormone production, such as Cushing's disease, acromegaly, or elevated prolactin levels, which can affect various body systems. Large tumors, known as macroadenomas, can compress nearby structures like the optic nerves, causing pituitary tumor symptoms like vision loss, headaches, or even damage to the healthy pituitary gland, leading to hormone deficiencies. In rare cases, a sudden bleed into a tumor (pituitary apoplexy) can cause severe symptoms requiring emergency treatment. Early pituitary tumor diagnosis and management are crucial to prevent these complications.
How fast do pituitary tumors grow?
The growth rate of pituitary tumors varies significantly from person to person and tumor to tumor. Many pituitary tumors are slow-growing, and some microadenomas (tumors less than 1 cm) may even remain stable in size for years without causing problems. However, others can grow more rapidly, leading to pituitary tumor symptoms as they enlarge and press on surrounding brain structures or interfere with hormone production. Regular monitoring with imaging, often as part of the pituitary tumor diagnosis and follow-up process, helps our team track any changes in size or growth rate to determine the best course of action.
Contact us
To schedule an appointment or learn more about services call 412-359-6200 or visit AHN Neuroscience Appointment.