Publication:

Clinico-epidemiological profile and treatment outcome of pituitary adenomas: a retrospective study

Background Aim of this study was to evaluate the clinico-epidemiological profile and treatment outcome of pituitary adenomas.

Methods This was a retrospective study performed in the department of Radiation Oncology, Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura, Srinagar, India, in which 30 cases diagnosed with pituitary adenoma from January 2016 to December 2021 were studied.  There clinical and epidemiological features, treatment, overall survival and follow-up data was analyzed.

Results Most patients were female in gender 17 (57%), and the incidence rate was higher in female patients than male. Microadenoma was seen in just 4 (13%) patients. Macroadenoma in 12 (40%) and giant tumours in 14 (47%). At three and five years, the overall survival rate was 92% and 83%, respectively. Additionally, patients who got adjuvant radiation had a higher overall survival rate (84% versus 76%, p=.833) than those who did not.

Conclusions Radiotherapy is an effective treatment for pituitary adenomas, able to achieve excellent disease control. Patients with pituitary adenomas should be identified at an early stage so that effective treatment can be implemented. Initial therapy is generally transsphenoidal surgery with irradiation reserved for patients who do not achieve adequate reduction in tumor size after surgery.