What are pituitary gland tumours?
Pituitary gland tumours start in the cells of the pituitary gland. Most pituitary gland tumours do not spread to other parts of the body (metastasize), but they may grow into (invade) nearby areas.
The pituitary gland is a small, pea-sized
Cells in the pituitary gland sometimes change and no longer grow or behave normally. These changes may lead to tumours. A pituitary neuroendocrine tumour (often called a PitNET) is the most common type of pituitary gland tumour. Many PitNETs make too many hormones and cause symptoms. Some PitNETs can grow large and into nearby areas and cause problems.
In very rare cases, changes to pituitary gland cells can lead to pituitary gland cancer.
This type of cancer is also called pituitary carcinoma. It is a cancerous (malignant)
tumour that is only diagnosed once it has already spread (metastasized) to the