Is pheochromocytoma a cancer?

Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
Updated on September 02, 2024
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Pheochromocytoma is not a cancer. It is a special type of tumor tissue that usually originates from the neuroectodermal chromaffin tissue. It can secrete catecholamines. Based on the specific origins of the tumor cells, it can be divided into types such as parasympathetic, paraganglioma, sympathetic, and ganglioneuroma. Most often, it presents with long-term hypertension, which can cause damage to the heart, brain, and kidneys due to prolonged hypertension, or severe increases in blood pressure can lead to hypertensive brain hemorrhage, thereby endangering the patient's life. Early treatment is often necessary.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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Causes of hypotension in pheochromocytoma

For cases of hypotension occurring in pheochromocytoma, it is most commonly seen after the surgical removal of the tumor. At this point, the concentration of catecholamines in the blood may significantly decrease, leading to a marked reduction in effective circulating blood volume, and thus causing hypotension. This situation is relatively common after surgery for pheochromocytoma. Usually, after surgical treatment and removal of the tumor, it is important to promptly discontinue the use of receptor blockers in patients and to appropriately replenish blood volume to effectively maintain central venous pressure. This approach can generally counteract the reduction in catecholamine levels caused by surgery, which leads to hypotension.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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Is pheochromocytoma a cancer?

Pheochromocytoma is not a cancer. It is a special type of tumor tissue that usually originates from the neuroectodermal chromaffin tissue. It can secrete catecholamines. Based on the specific origins of the tumor cells, it can be divided into types such as parasympathetic, paraganglioma, sympathetic, and ganglioneuroma. Most often, it presents with long-term hypertension, which can cause damage to the heart, brain, and kidneys due to prolonged hypertension, or severe increases in blood pressure can lead to hypertensive brain hemorrhage, thereby endangering the patient's life. Early treatment is often necessary.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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Is surgery necessary for pheochromocytoma?

For patients diagnosed with pheochromocytoma, it is recommended to undergo surgery as soon as possible. Complete surgical removal of the tumor often results in a very good therapeutic effect. Before surgery, some medications can be appropriately used for treatment. For example, it is advised to choose adrenergic receptor blockers, which can significantly improve the patient's condition. These can be taken orally before the operation to help gradually regulate blood pressure, or other medications such as calcium channel blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and vasodilators may be used. Only through a combination of medication and surgery can satisfactory treatment results be achieved.

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Written by Gan Jun
Endocrinology
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Is it okay not to remove a pheochromocytoma?

For patients diagnosed with pheochromocytoma, it is recommended that surgical removal is the best option. Pheochromocytoma, also known as an adrenal medullary tumor, originates from the sympathetic ganglia in the adrenal medulla and other related chromaffin tissues. This type of disease can secrete large amounts of catecholamines, causing episodic or persistent hypertension, as well as other related metabolic disorder syndromes. It often presents as potentially fatal hypertension, accompanied by potentially fatal hypotension or even shock, leading to symptoms such as increased heart rate, palpitations, and fear. Patients with pheochromocytoma are advised to undergo timely surgical treatment, as general drug treatments are unable to control or cure the condition.

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Written by Li Lang Bo
Endocrinology
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What should I do if pheochromocytoma causes excessive sweating?

Patients with pheochromocytoma generally exhibit profuse sweating, which is a manifestation of sympathetic excitement. This occurs because the capillary beds throughout the body of a person with pheochromocytoma are constricted, including the sweat glands. Thus, it is easy to exhibit these symptoms of sympathetic excitement, characterized by nervousness, heavy sweating, and weight loss. So, how should this be treated? The key is to treat the cause. In the clinic, after collecting some blood history, conducting various blood tests, and performing adrenal CT scans among other imaging studies, a clear diagnosis of pheochromocytoma is made. Then, we will use some alpha receptor blockers, one to lower the blood pressure to a normal range and another to dilate the capillary beds throughout the body. After this, we proceed with the related surgical treatment. Following the surgical removal of the tumor, symptoms such as sweating will gradually be relieved.