[Treatment of hypothalamic-pituitary tumors--experiences at Hiroshima University School of Medicine].

Abstract

Hypothalamic-pituitary tumors are unique tumors which are present with various disorders of the cerebrum, cranial nerve, and endocrine system, and which critically ruin the patients' quality of life. However, during the past two decades, hypothalamic-pituitary tumor treatment has developed dramatically. The curative method of the pituitary adenoma had not yet been introduced in the mid-1970s, but was accomplished several years after and spread rapidly through out the world. The main contributors which led to this development were the introduction of micro-neurosurgery (including transsphenoidal surgery), the development of new imaging modalities such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and the introduction of newer, more effective medicine. Other kinds of hypothalamic-pituitary tumor are also being cured by function-oriented surgery, drugs, and radiation therapy, which give the long-term useful life to patients. Regrettably, there are some malignant tumors which still resist to any multidisciplinary remedy. Efforts to prolong the useful lives of patients with malignant hypothalamic-pituitary tumors and also to improve the quality of life of patients with benign tumors should be continued. The most important point in managing hypothalamic pituitary tumors is to focus on "patient-oriented treatment" tailoring treatment to individual symptoms and needs.