This question will be answered by a neurosurgeon, Dmytro TESLENKO MD, PhD, who works at the leading clinic of the main institution of neurosurgery of Ukraine – the Romodanov Neurosurgery Institute.
– Good afternoon, doctor. We were contacted by a patient with a brain tumour who was successfully treated by you and asked to interview you so that you could talk about this method of treatment to a wider audience. Dmytro, is it really possible to cure a brain tumour with pills?
– Good afternoon. There are brain tumours – pituitary adenomas – prolactinomas. These are the tumours, that produce the hormone prolactin and which can really be cured without surgery. My patient found me through a website completely dedicated to the treatment of pituitary diseases (pituitary.com.ua). She came in with a really huge adenoma of the pituitary gland (the maximum size of which was more than 6 cm), and, luckily for her, the tumour turned out to be a prolactinoma. The patient complained of headaches, disorders with “periods”, inability to get pregnant, frigidity, emotional lability. But after two years of treatment with tablets (which, by the way, can be bought at any pharmacy) – the tumour has almost completely dissolved, headaches disappeared, my “menstruation” has normalized, a zest for life appeared. And the most important thing – the patient became pregnant and gave birth to a healthy child!
– What are the causes of the disease?
– Despite the development of modern medicine, the causes of brain tumours, and in particular pituitary adenoma, are not reliably determined, there are many different theories that are not generally accepted. Increased prolactin in the blood (hyperprolactinaemia) can be a physiological process that occurs as a result of pregnancy, physical exertion, stress, sleep, sexual intercourse, consumption of certain products. A pathological increase of prolactin level in the blood can occur with a structural lesion of the hypothalamic-pituitary region (tumour, brain injury). Hyperprolactinaemia can also be caused by the use of certain drugs: antidepressants, antipsychotic drugs, high-dose oral contraceptives, anticonvulsant drugs, etc.
– What are the symptoms of a prolactinoma (pituitary adenoma)?
– Symptoms are divided into “hormonal” and “structural”. The “hormonal” symptoms of this pathological condition include menstrual cycle disorders (oligo- or amenorrhoea, anovulatory cycle), galactorrhea, infertility, decreased libido and frigidity, hirsutism (excessive hair growth in women according to the male type). Long-term elevated prolactin content in blood serum provokes hyperplastic processes and fatty transformation of the parenchyma of the mammary glands, being one of the triggering mechanisms for the development of mastopathy. Hyperprolactinaemia causes a number of metabolic disorders. In patients, a progressive decrease in bone density was noted due to the prevalence of bone resorption, which is accompanied by a pain syndrome and leads to the development of osteoporosis. The severity of these symptoms is reduced when the levels of prolactin and sex hormones in the blood serum are normalized. A direct stimulatory effect of prolactin on β-cells of the pancreas, manifested by basal hyperinsulinemia and normoglycemia, was also revealed. When conducting a glucose tolerance test, a more pronounced release of insulin and a significant inhibition of glucagon secretion is noted compared to the norm. “Structural” symptoms include compression of the optic nerves, when the tumour increases in size, which is manifested by a decrease in visual acuity and the appearance of dark spots in front of the eyes (restriction of visual fields). Prolonged compression can lead to irreversible visual impairment. The spread of the tumour to the third ventricle of the brain and the blocking of the brain's liquid pathways can cause occlusive hydrocephalus, which causes an increase in intracranial pressure, which is manifested by headache, nausea and vomiting, and other neurological symptoms. Such a condition requires urgent surgical treatment. Prolactinoma is one of the variants of pituitary adenoma.
– What is a pituitary adenoma, what are the symptoms, diagnosis and main methods of treatment?
– Pituitary adenoma is a fairly common benign brain tumour. The age of patients – most often varies from 20 to 80 years, children are rarely diagnosed. A pituitary tumour less than 1 cm in size is called a microadenoma, larger than 1 cm—a macroadenoma. Pituitary adenomas can be hormonally active (produce a particular hormone), or they can be hormonally inactive. Symptoms of a pituitary adenoma can be different. If they are hormonally active tumours – they can cause a disease such as Acromegaly (the tumour produces growth hormone) or cause Cushing’s disease (the tumour produces adrenocorticotropic hormone) Prolactinoma is a tumour of the pituitary gland, when the level of prolactin in the blood is increased tenfold. Prolactin stimulates the secretion of the mammary glands and affects the regulation of sex hormones and at the same time the gonads (ovary or testicle). Women start violation of the menstrual cycle, breast enlargement and milk production. Violation of libido and potency in men. Clinical symptoms depend on tumour size (mass-effect), duration of exposure, and severity of hyperprolactinaemia, which leads to hypogonadism. Microadenomas (less than 1 cm) usually do not cause neurological symptoms, in contrast to macroadenomas (more than 1 cm), which are often accompanied by impaired vision, headache, and sometimes hypofunction of the adenohypophysis. In men and women, hypogonadism is accompanied by a decrease in bone mineral density (depends
on the duration and severity of hypogonadism). Modern diagnosis of a pituitary adenoma includes: MRI of the brain (pituitary) with intravenous injection of a contrast agent, blood (or urine) analysis for the level of pituitary hormones and other endocrine glands, examination by an endocrinologist and an ophthalmologist, and, finally, a mandatory consultation with a neurosurgeon.
– What are the treatment options for pituitary adenoma?
– Depending on the type of pituitary adenoma, certain treatment methods are used. Professional treatment can be prescribed only by a narrow-profile specialist, who specifically deals with this pathology. Some adenomas of the pituitary gland are treated medically – without surgery. Others – you just need to operate, but you don't need to be afraid of operations. Usually, now, these are mini-
invasive, low-traumatic operations without skin incision, through natural openings (without trepanation) – operations through the nose. The next day, the patient leaves the ward to the yard, communicates freely with relatives and can be discharged from the clinic 3-5 days after the operation.
Dmytro Teslenko, MD, PhD
Neurosurgeon
President of UNES
WFNS, EANS, AANS and IFNE member
Romodanov Neurosurgery Institute
32 Platona Mayborody st.
Kyiv, 04050, Ukraine
Cell: +380 50 175 03 03;
+380 97 175 03 03
https://pituitary.com.ua
Can a brain tumour be cured without surgery?
This question will be answered by a neurosurgeon, Dmytro TESLENKO MD, PhD, who works at the leading clinic of the main institution of neurosurgery of Ukraine – the Romodanov Neurosurgery Institute.
– Good afternoon, doctor. We were contacted by a patient with a brain tumour who was successfully treated by you and asked to interview you so that you could talk about this method of treatment to a wider audience. Dmytro, is it really possible to cure a brain tumour with pills?
– Good afternoon. There are brain tumours – pituitary adenomas – prolactinomas. These are the tumours, that produce the hormone prolactin and which can really be cured without surgery. My patient found me through a website completely dedicated to the treatment of pituitary diseases (pituitary.com.ua). She came in with a really huge adenoma of the pituitary gland (the maximum size of which was more than 6 cm), and, luckily for her, the tumour turned out to be a prolactinoma. The patient complained of headaches, disorders with “periods”, inability to get pregnant, frigidity, emotional lability. But after two years of treatment with tablets (which, by the way, can be bought at any pharmacy) – the tumour has almost completely dissolved, headaches disappeared, my “menstruation” has normalized, a zest for life appeared. And the most important thing – the patient became pregnant and gave birth to a healthy child!
– What are the causes of the disease?
– Despite the development of modern medicine, the causes of brain tumours, and in particular pituitary adenoma, are not reliably determined, there are many different theories that are not generally accepted. Increased prolactin in the blood (hyperprolactinaemia) can be a physiological process that occurs as a result of pregnancy, physical exertion, stress, sleep, sexual intercourse, consumption of certain products. A pathological increase of prolactin level in the blood can occur with a structural lesion of the hypothalamic-pituitary region (tumour, brain injury). Hyperprolactinaemia can also be caused by the use of certain drugs: antidepressants, antipsychotic drugs, high-dose oral contraceptives, anticonvulsant drugs, etc.
– What are the symptoms of a prolactinoma (pituitary adenoma)?
– Symptoms are divided into “hormonal” and “structural”. The “hormonal” symptoms of this pathological condition include menstrual cycle disorders (oligo- or amenorrhoea, anovulatory cycle), galactorrhea, infertility, decreased libido and frigidity, hirsutism (excessive hair growth in women according to the male type). Long-term elevated prolactin content in blood serum provokes hyperplastic processes and fatty transformation of the parenchyma of the mammary glands, being one of the triggering mechanisms for the development of mastopathy. Hyperprolactinaemia causes a number of metabolic disorders. In patients, a progressive decrease in bone density was noted due to the prevalence of bone resorption, which is accompanied by a pain syndrome and leads to the development of osteoporosis. The severity of these symptoms is reduced when the levels of prolactin and sex hormones in the blood serum are normalized. A direct stimulatory effect of prolactin on β-cells of the pancreas, manifested by basal hyperinsulinemia and normoglycemia, was also revealed. When conducting a glucose tolerance test, a more pronounced release of insulin and a significant inhibition of glucagon secretion is noted compared to the norm. “Structural” symptoms include compression of the optic nerves, when the tumour increases in size, which is manifested by a decrease in visual acuity and the appearance of dark spots in front of the eyes (restriction of visual fields). Prolonged compression can lead to irreversible visual impairment. The spread of the tumour to the third ventricle of the brain and the blocking of the brain's liquid pathways can cause occlusive hydrocephalus, which causes an increase in intracranial pressure, which is manifested by headache, nausea and vomiting, and other neurological symptoms. Such a condition requires urgent surgical treatment. Prolactinoma is one of the variants of pituitary adenoma.
– What is a pituitary adenoma, what are the symptoms, diagnosis and main methods of treatment?
– Pituitary adenoma is a fairly common benign brain tumour. The age of patients – most often varies from 20 to 80 years, children are rarely diagnosed. A pituitary tumour less than 1 cm in size is called a microadenoma, larger than 1 cm—a macroadenoma. Pituitary adenomas can be hormonally active (produce a particular hormone), or they can be hormonally inactive. Symptoms of a pituitary adenoma can be different. If they are hormonally active tumours – they can cause a disease such as Acromegaly (the tumour produces growth hormone) or cause Cushing’s disease (the tumour produces adrenocorticotropic hormone) Prolactinoma is a tumour of the pituitary gland, when the level of prolactin in the blood is increased tenfold. Prolactin stimulates the secretion of the mammary glands and affects the regulation of sex hormones and at the same time the gonads (ovary or testicle). Women start violation of the menstrual cycle, breast enlargement and milk production. Violation of libido and potency in men. Clinical symptoms depend on tumour size (mass-effect), duration of exposure, and severity of hyperprolactinaemia, which leads to hypogonadism. Microadenomas (less than 1 cm) usually do not cause neurological symptoms, in contrast to macroadenomas (more than 1 cm), which are often accompanied by impaired vision, headache, and sometimes hypofunction of the adenohypophysis. In men and women, hypogonadism is accompanied by a decrease in bone mineral density (depends
on the duration and severity of hypogonadism). Modern diagnosis of a pituitary adenoma includes: MRI of the brain (pituitary) with intravenous injection of a contrast agent, blood (or urine) analysis for the level of pituitary hormones and other endocrine glands, examination by an endocrinologist and an ophthalmologist, and, finally, a mandatory consultation with a neurosurgeon.
– What are the treatment options for pituitary adenoma?
– Depending on the type of pituitary adenoma, certain treatment methods are used. Professional treatment can be prescribed only by a narrow-profile specialist, who specifically deals with this pathology. Some adenomas of the pituitary gland are treated medically – without surgery. Others – you just need to operate, but you don't need to be afraid of operations. Usually, now, these are mini-
invasive, low-traumatic operations without skin incision, through natural openings (without trepanation) – operations through the nose. The next day, the patient leaves the ward to the yard, communicates freely with relatives and can be discharged from the clinic 3-5 days after the operation.
Dmytro Teslenko, MD, PhD
Neurosurgeon
President of UNES
WFNS, EANS, AANS and IFNE member
Romodanov Neurosurgery Institute
32 Platona Mayborody st.
Kyiv, 04050, Ukraine
Cell: +380 50 175 03 03;
+380 97 175 03 03
https://pituitary.com.ua