Can this be cancerous?

Posted , 3 users are following.

I had a mri due to a brain tumour fear as inwas having headaches. However when i had thi mri they incidentally saw that my pituitary gland was englarged... So now i have to go back to have a closer mri. My arm and leg on the same side feels weird/ weak. And i feel tired and irritable all the time.. Can this he cancerous im sorry but im so scared right now.

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • Posted

    Someone please help me out
  • Posted

    Hi Emily..it is probably NOT cancer. Pituitary enlargement is usually caused by a tumour however most are benign which mean non cancerous. The enlargment could also be from a blood leak I believe.. Are you having bloodwork to check hormones? I have been having constant headaches and even some vision loss. I also am tired and cranky. I am waiting for an mri to get my pituitary checked so you are one step ahead of me. Don't go crazy worrying they have already found the issue and they are going to fix it.Let me know how things keep going.
    • Posted

      I have a doctors appointment today so they will hopefully do blood tests. Cance os the only possibility i can think of as my arm and leg arent right. Its funny how i had a fear of brain tumours and now there could be a huge possibility of there actuakly being a tumour. The nuero said i was fine in the exam. Im so scared now because i can see things being the worst and knowing me and my luck they will be
  • Posted

    Hi Emily, you don't need to worry about a pituitary tumor being cancerous.  That would be very, very rare.  What you do need to do though is find an endocrinologist who specializes in pituitary disorders.  I too have a pituitary tumor and have daily headaches.  I am scheduled to have surgery on Feb. 18. I'm so looking forward to it.  There are two pituitary disorders that cause headaches.  One is acromegaly and the other is Cushings.  IF you do have a pituitary tumor.  The most important thing along with a good endocrinologist is to find a neurosurgeon who specializes in that surgery.  The surgeon who is doing mine does two or three a WEEK.  Don't worry about cancer just follow through with the rest of your tests and figure out what is going on. All the best to you. 
    • Posted

      oh wow, so when your having your op, i will be having an mri scan on my gland. with cushings do you have to have all of the symptoms? i just cant believe the doctors kept putting it down to anxiety, and they said that an mri scan wouldnt help, which infact if they hadnt of done on then who knows what couldve happened. can pituitary tumours/ problems cause things like weakness feeing on one side, tiredness, clumsyness and pain? im just scared as the first thing i think of is cancer.
  • Posted

    One more thing, Emily.  Be ware, doctors will tell you that hormones do not cause headaches but they are wrong.  Find a good endocrinologist. 
  • Posted

    My surgery is scheduled for Feb. 18 in Philadelphia.  I am not too familiar with Cushings.  What I have is Acromegaly.  I have constant headaches but I do not have the physical symptoms of enlarged hands and feet or facial changes but I do have Acromegaly. It is very difficult to get a diagnosis and is not uncommon to take 10 years to figure it out.  I have had headaches for the last 12 years.  In the pituitary a tumor less than 10mm is considered small and anything over 10mm is considered large.  Even with a small tumor you want to get it removed.  Your. Chances of cure is better with a small.  So also, don't let them tell you, "oh, it's just a small tumor, let's just watch it."  That's the wrong answer.  There is not that much space there and you need to get it taken care of.  I do know that the indicator of Acromegaly is high growth hormone level and IGF-1 levels.  That is what is causing my headaches.  Let us know how your appt. goes today. 
    • Posted

      i had my appointment. the first thing the doctor said to me and my mum was "im sure that you both are confused with the results and have plenty of questions" he explained that the mri of my brain was fine but the pituitary gland was slightly enlarged. he asked if i had any worries or concerns inwhich i said cancer and he explained that the hospital will rule out the nasty things first. but since my mri and eye tests have been fine he said i shouldnt be too worried (i am anyway)

      tomorrow im in for blood tests to check my thryoid and glucose which wont go down too well since they can never find my veins (all this arm fat haha) but hopefully they can get to the problem of why my gland is enlarged.

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.