What factors are related to the recurrence of pituitary tumors

Pituitary tumor is a common benign tumor, which is generally treated with surgery or drugs. However, no matter which treatment method is used, there are some recurrences. Surgical recurrence often occurs after three years, which makes patients very distressed. So, what factors are related to the recurrence of pituitary tumors? Let us learn about it together.

If the tumor is no longer visible on imaging and the endocrine system is normal, it is unlikely to recur. If the tumor is invasive, has no complete borders, and grows to other places, it is very difficult to completely remove it. The so-called recurrence rate depends on whether the tumor is completely removed and then grows again. This is rare. If part of the tumor remains, some may not grow out immediately, and some may not even grow. Now many neurosurgeons have reached a consensus that if you have a good quality of life, you don’t have to worry even if the pituitary tumor recurs. The doctor will choose the most suitable treatment method based on the patient’s condition, the location of the tumor, and the size of the tumor.

Recurrence of pituitary tumors is associated with the following factors:

① Residual tumor: Incomplete resection causes residual tumor and continued growth, which is the key factor for postoperative recurrence, rather than new tumors;

② Infiltrative growth: Large tumors, especially those with severe invasive growth, destroy surrounding tissues, making it difficult to completely resect during surgery, resulting in a large amount of residual volume and a high possibility of recurrence, which affects the efficacy;

③ Multiple pituitary tumors: Only one tumor was removed during surgery. It has been reported that about 7.7% to 11% of patients have multiple pituitary tumors, most of which are microadenomas. This is because the tumor has multiple nodules and was not completely removed during the first surgery;

④ Pituitary adenoma cells have high proliferation, poor differentiation, and obvious nuclear atypia. High proliferation determines the rate of residual tumor recurrence;

⑤ Hyperplasia of pituitary tissue around the tumor: Some experts believe that pituitary hyperplasia can develop into pituitary tumors;

⑥ Those who did not receive timely radiotherapy after surgery had a higher recurrence rate;

⑦ Non-pituitary factors: such as long-term hypothyroidism and persistent hypothalamic endocrine dysfunction after surgery can cause recurrence of pituitary tumors.

When the patient's vision, visual field impairment and (or) endocrine symptoms worsen, blood hormone levels increase, or get worse again after improvement, endocrine symptoms reappear, and CT or MRI shows tumor enlargement, it can be diagnosed as a pituitary tumor recurrence. In addition, blood hormone measurement is also important. Patients suspected of recurrence should be followed up regularly and treated in time to achieve the best results.