Phenochromocytoma is a benign tumor that develops in the adrenal glands above the kidneys; although this type of tumor is not life-threatening, it can cause several health problems, especially since the adrenal glands produce hormones that regulate the functioning of almost every organ in the body.
Thus, because hormones do not occur properly due to the presence of the tumor, it is common to have high blood pressure that does not decrease and other cardiovascular problems.
- For this reason.
- Even if it is not a malignant cancer.
- In most cases pheochromocytoma should be removed by surgery to avoid injuring other organs over time.
Symptoms of this type of tumor are most common between the age of 20 and 50 and include:
These symptoms of phenochromocytoma usually occur during seizures that last between 15 and 20 minutes and may occur more than once a day; However, blood pressure can remain high and is difficult to control.
These symptom attacks are more common after activities such as exercising, being very nervous or anxious, changing your body position, going to the bathroom, or eating foods high in tyrosine, such as certain cheeses, avocados, or smoked meats.See a more complete list of foods high in tyrosine.
To confirm the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma, your doctor may order several tests, such as blood tests that measure hormones produced by the adrenal glands, such as adrenaline or norepinephrine, as well as a CT scan or MRI, that evaluate the structure of your adrenal glands.Glands.
The best form of treatment for pheochromocytoma is to have surgery to remove the tumor from the affected adrenal gland; However, before you have surgery, your doctor may prescribe certain medications that help regulate blood pressure and reduce your risk of complications, such as:
These medications are usually used for a period of approximately 10 days before surgery.
When the pressure is controlled, surgery to remove the tumor is usually possible; in most cases, the entire adrenal gland is removed during surgery; However, if the other gland was also removed, the surgeon will attempt to remove only the affected gland.area of the gland, so that the healthy part continues to function normally.
Treatment of pheochromocytoma is done, in most cases, by surgery to try to remove as much as possible the tumor from the affected adrenal gland.
Pheochromocytoma surgery is performed under general anesthesia and, in most cases, your doctor chooses to remove the entire affected adrenal gland to reduce the risk of tumor recurrence; However, if the other gland is also affected or if I’ve removed it before, your doctor only removes the affected part of the gland, keeping the part healthy.
In general, the healthy gland is able to maintain its function and produce the hormones needed for the body, however, when this production is compromised, the doctor may prescribe a hormone replacement, which can be performed for life.
Although pheochromocytoma is quite rare, it can also be a malignant tumor and, in these cases, after surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy may be needed to remove all malignant cells or metastasis, depending on the degree of tumor evolution.
Early signs of improvement appear approximately 1 week after starting treatment with medications and include a decrease in blood pressure and heart rate; after surgery, all symptoms go away completely; However, in the case of malignant cancer, some symptoms may still be maintained or signs of metastasized cancer may even appear such as un apparent pain or weight loss, for example.
Signs of worsening are more common when treatment is not initiated and may include increased tremors, severe headaches and shortness of breath, as well as a marked increase in blood pressure and heart rate.