I am a 28 year old female currently being tested for an adrenal tumor with symptoms of hypertension and tachycardia. I am wondering whether or not this could be a pheochromocytoma. They often secrete catecholemines that cause the characteristic hypertension. Only a portion of pheochromocytomas are malignant. The very successful mainstay treatment of early disease is surgery.
Radiation therapy is also a viable definitive approach.
Chemotherapy has been of less proven benefit. The symptoms of hypertension and tachycardia are not unique to a person with pheochromocytoma. Those are natural body reactions to increased levels of catecholemines. Korobkin M. Pheochromocytoma. Radiologic Clinics of North America.