Answering all your pituitary care questions
When you’re diagnosed with a pituitary gland disorder, it’s natural to have questions about how it will impact your health and quality of life, what type of treatment you should seek, and many other factors related to your condition. Your Penn Medicine care team is committed to making sure you’re informed and empowered in your decision-making process and is here to help you navigate your diagnosis.
Here are some answers to frequently asked questions that will help guide you in your treatment journey.
Malignant (cancerous) pituitary tumors are extremely rare. In fact, over 99 percent of pituitary tumors are benign (non-cancerous). After meeting with you and running tests, your doctors will be able to tell if there’s a chance your pituitary tumor is malignant.
If you have been diagnosed with a pituitary tumor, you’ll need blood tests to determine whether your tumor secretes hormones. Some patients receive additional testing through our Penn Dynamic Testing Unit, which helps endocrinologists gather even more information about the nature of the tumor.
Some pituitary tumors can be treated with medication. This treatment decision requires hormonal testing in consultation with a neuroendocrinologist. Treating a pituitary tumor with medication requires long-term, ongoing treatment and regular check-ins with your care team. In most cases, medication is well tolerated.
Pituitary surgery is exceptionally safe in the hands of an experienced surgeon. Nationally, fewer than 1 percent of patients have severe complications. Those who do typically have very advanced diseases or are medically frail prior to surgery.
After surgery, you’ll go home the very next day. There’s no nasal packing, so you’ll breathe through your nose right away. You should not expect physical impairment after surgery, and most people safely recover on their own at home. The biggest physical discomfort you can expect is a stuffy nose, which goes away after two weeks. You’ll also be limited in your ability to lift heavy objects and drive right after your surgery.
You’ll have an MRI within three months of your surgery. If the MRI reveals a residual tumor, your doctors will watch it carefully to see if it’s growing. All patients have an annual MRI for at least five years after surgery, even if the surgery was successful in removing all the tumor, because occasionally they can recur.
Because pituitary tumors are usually benign, it’s better to start with a treatment that has a lower risk of complications, such as surgery or medication when appropriate. Radiation therapy is reserved for tumors that recur even after past surgeries.
We recognize that many patients need to travel long distances to come to our center. That’s why we use every opportunity to collaborate with your doctors at home. To better serve you, we may be able to offer video visits, or arrange tests and procedures close to home if appropriate.
To minimize your travel, we also schedule appointments with multiple Penn Pituitary Center specialists on the same day.
You’ll continue to follow up with your team for at least five years.