Pituitary Cancer Research Paper

Pituitary Cancer An understanding of the nervous system, specifically of the pituitary gland, is required to understand cancers found in the system. The nervous system is essential to live, for its functions include memory storage, motor function, sensory processing, regulation of body functions, and thought processes. The nervous system is anatomically divided into the central and peripheral nervous systems. The peripheral nervous system consists of the nerves found throughout the body while the brain and spinal cord makes up the central system. Cancers can be found throughout the nervous system, including the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland is located in the brain; therefore, it is part of the central nervous system, directly behind

While part of the nervous system, the pituitary gland is also part of the endocrine system and is considered the “master gland”. Two parts make up the pituitary gland; anterior and posterior. The anterior pituitary is responsible for growth hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, and prolactin (American Cancer Society, 2014). Growth hormone causes growth, especially in children thyroid stimulating hormone causes thyroid to grow and regulate metabolism, adrenocorticotropic hormone grows adrenal glands and steroids, luteinizing and follicle-stimulating hormone affect the gonads (American Cancer Society, 20142). The posterior pituitary is smaller and controls vasopressin and oxytocin (American Cancer Society, 2014). Vasopressin controls water retention in the kidneys while oxytocin affects pregnancy, labor, and breastfeeding along with other effects (American Cancer Society, 2014). Cancers within the nervous system are severe, and often deadly, due to the sensitivity of the tissues and the importance

Posterior tumors, for the most part, are extremely rare; most tumors reside on the anterior lobe of the pituitary (American Cancer Society, 2014). Most tumors are benign, or noncancerous, and are referred to as adenomas. Adenomas are distinguished by size and the type of hormone they secrete, if any (American Cancer Society, 2014). Non-functional adenomas, tumors that do not secrete hormones, can still have a large impact on the health of the patient, for the tumor can put pressure upon the optic nerve causing blindness or loss of peripheral vision (American Cancer Society, 2014 ). Other pressure based symptoms include nausea, vomiting, headache, reproductive system complication, changes in urination, weight change, and other symptoms of pituitary hormone deficiency (Mayo Clinic Staff). Non-functional adenomas, also referred to null cell adenomas, are typically diagnosed once they reach a macroadenoma status at one centimeter or larger. Adenomas smaller than one centimeter are considered microadenomas and have less effect on the body if non-functional (American Cancer Society, 2014). Roughly 30% of pituitary tumors are null cell adenomas (American Cancer Society, 2914). Adenomas can wreak even more havoc by being functional. Functional adenomas vary and are named by the type of hormone they excessively excrete similarly to how cancers are named (American Cancer