The Swedish Pituitary Center at the Swedish Neuroscience Institute is one of the country’s largest centers for treating disorders of the pituitary gland – including pituitary tumors. The center brings together endocrinologists, neurosurgeons and radiation oncologists to offer a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to the diagnosis and treatment of these tumors.
Tumors in the pituitary gland are quite common and many of them are so small they may go undetected throughout life. Although 99 percent of pituitary tumors are benign, the associated symptoms can be
debilitating, especially with hormone-secreting tumors. Regardless of the type of tumor, individuals with pituitary tumors may experience headaches, blurred vision, impotence/infertility, and mood changes.
Frances E. Broyles, M.D. is the director of the Swedish Neuroendocrine Program. “We schedule patients for consecutive appointments with multiple specialists on the same day, which is indicative of the collaborative approach we take to diagnose and treat all pituitary disorders”. Together the center’s specialists develop a treatment plan that best meets the needs of the patient.
Treatment options include observation, surgery, medical therapy and radiosurgery. Because Swedish has both CyberKnife and Gamma Knife radiosurgery platforms, neurosurgeons are able to select the most appropriate platform for patients being treated with this non-surgical approach. The Swedish Pituitary Center has more experience than any center in the Northwest region for surgical or radiosurgical treatment of pituitary tumors, with complication rates of less than one percent.
“Next to our exceptional outcomes, the most important thing we offer is continuity of care and a partnership with our patients referring physicians,” said the executive director of the Swedish Neuroscience Institute and a neurosurgeon with the Swedish Pituitary Center.
For more information about the Swedish Pituitary Center go to www.swedish.org/pituitary or call 206-320-4844.
