Benign pineal tumors can be removed surgically. Other malignant germ cell tumors occurring in this region are treated with chemotherapy followed by radiation therapy. Over the past 5 years, the prognosis for children with pineal tumors has improved dramatically. The pituitary gland is a small oval structure located at the base of the brain in the center of the head, behind the eyes and optic nerve. It is about the size of a pea but is very important because it secretes several chemical messengers known as hormones, which help control the body's other glands and regulate growth, metabolism, maturation and other essential body processes.
Doctors classify pituitary tumors into two groups - secreting and nonsecreting.
Secreting tumors release unusually high levels of pituitary hormones, triggering a constellation of symptoms. They are usually much smaller than the gland when they begin to cause symptoms and the symptoms depend on the tumor's size and the kind of hormone the tumor secretes. Prolactin-secreting adenomas affect sexual characteristics and cause impotence in men. The less common adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting adenoma causes Cushing's disease. Some adenomas secrete a combination of these or other hormones and some secrete none.