Treatments for Pituitary Cancer

Treatment list for Pituitary Cancer:

The list of treatments mentioned in various sources for Pituitary Cancer includes the following list. Always seek professional medical advice about any treatment or change in treatment plans.

• Surgical removal of the tumor - the most common treatment
• Radiation therapy
• Drug therapy
• Hormone supplements - if the tumor has reduced production of any of the various hormones.

Treatments of Pituitary Cancer: Online Medical Books

16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the treatments of Pituitary Cancer.

Diabetes insipidus: Treatment
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

Mild cases require no treatment other than fluid intake to replace fluid lost. Until the cause of more severe cases of diabetes insipidus can be identified and eliminated, administration of various forms of vasopressin or of a vasopressin stimulant can control fluid balance and prevent dehydration. Vasopressin injection is an aqueous preparation that’s administered S.C. or I.M. several times a day because it’s effective for only 2 to 6 hours; this form of the drug is used in acute disease and as a diagnostic agent.

Desmopressin acetate can be given by nasal spray that’s absorbed through the mucous membranes, or by injection given S.C. or I.V.; this drug is effective for 8 to 20 hours, depending on the dosage. It’s also available in tablet form, to be given at bedtime or in divided doses. Hydrochlorothiazide can be used in both central and nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. Indomethacin and amiloride are also used for nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. If nephrogenic diabetes insipidus is caused by medication (such as lithium), stopping the medicine leads to kidney recovery.

READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Pituitary tumors: Treatment
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

Surgical options include transfrontal removal of large tumors impinging on the optic apparatus and transsphenoidal resection for smaller tumors confined to the pituitary fossa. (See Transsphenoidal pituitary surgery.)

Radiation is the primary treatment for small, nonsecretory tumors that don't extend beyond the sella turcica or for patients who may be poor postoperative risks; otherwise, it's an adjunct to surgery.

Postoperative treatment includes hormone replacement with cortisone, thyroid, and sex hormones; correction of electrolyte imbalance; and, as necessary, insulin therapy.

Drug therapy may include bromocriptine, an ergot derivative that shrinks prolactin- and GH-secreting tumors. Cyproheptadine, an antiserotonin drug, can reduce increased corticosteroid levels in the patient with Cushing's syndrome.

Adjuvant radiation therapy is used when only partial removal of the tumor is possible. Cryohypophysectomy (freezing the area with a probe inserted by transsphenoidal route) is a promising alternative to surgical dissection of the tumor.

READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Malignant spinal neoplasms: Treatment
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

Treatment of spinal cord tumors generally includes decompression or radiation. Laminectomy is indicated for primary tumors that produce spinal cord or cauda equina compression; it isn't usually indicated for metastatic tumors. If the tumor is slowly progressive or if it's treated before the cord degenerates from compression, symptoms are likely to disappear, and complete restoration of function is possible. In a patient with metastatic carcinoma or lymphoma who suddenly experiences complete transverse myelitis with spinal shock, functional improvement is unlikely, even with treatment, and his outlook is ominous. If the patient has incomplete paraplegia of rapid onset, emergency surgical decompression may save cord function. Steroid therapy with dexamethasone minimizes cord edema and temporarily relieves symptoms until surgery can be performed. Partial removal of intramedullary gliomas, followed by radiation, may alleviate symptoms for a short time. Metastatic extradural tumors can be controlled with radiation, analgesics and, in the case of hormone-mediated tumors (breast and prostate), appropriate hormone therapy. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) may control radicular pain from spinal cord tumors and is a useful alternative to opioid analgesics. In TENS, an electrical charge is applied to the skin to stimulate large-diameter nerve fibers and thereby inhibit transmission of pain impulses through small-diameter nerve fibers. Chemotherapy generally hasn't proven effective against most spinal tumors, but may be recommended in some cases.

READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Diabetes insipidus: Treatment
(Handbook of Diseases)

Until the cause of diabetes insipidus can be identified and eliminated, administration of various forms of vasopressin can control fluid balance and prevent dehydration.

Vasopressin injection

This aqueous preparation is administered S.C. or I.M. several times a day because it’s effective for only 2 to 6 hours. This form of the drug is used as a diagnostic agent and, rarely, in acute disease.

Desmopressin acetate

This drug can be given orally, by nasal spray that’s absorbed through the mucous membranes or by S.C. or I.V. injection. Desmopressin acetate is effective for 8 to 20 hours, depending on the dosage.

READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Pituitary tumors: Treatment
(Handbook of Diseases)

Surgical options include transfrontal removal of large tumors impinging on the optic apparatus and transsphenoidal resection for smaller tumors confined to the pituitary fossa. (See Transsphenoidal pituitary surgery.) Radiation is the primary treatment for small, nonsecretory tumors that don’t extend beyond the sella turcica and for patients who may be poor postoperative risks; otherwise, it’s an adjunct to surgery.

Postoperative treatment includes hormone replacement with cortisone, thyroid, and sex hormones; correction of electrolyte imbalance; and, as necessary, insulin therapy.

Drug therapy may include bromo-criptine, an ergot derivative that shrinks prolactin-secreting and growth hormone-secreting tumors. Antiserotonin drugs can reduce increased corticosteroid levels in the patient with Cushing’s syndrome.

Adjuvant radiotherapy is used when only partial removal of the tumor is possible. Cryohypophysectomy (freezing the area with a probe inserted by transsphenoidal route) is a promising alternative to surgical dissection of the tumor.

READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Discussion of treatments for Pituitary Cancer:

Pituitary tumors are best treated when they are found and diagnosed early. Treatments for pituitary tumors include surgical removal of the tumor; radiation therapy, using high-doses of x-rays to kill tumor cells; and/or drug therapy, using certain medications to block the pituitary gland from producing too many hormones. The most common treatment is surgery. (Source: excerpt from NINDS Pituitary Tumors Information Page: NINDS)

Buy Products Related to Treatments for Pituitary Cancer

Enter your search terms Submit search form
Search The Web Search wrongdiagnosis.com