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Table of Contents Description
Stage Explanation
Treatment Option Overview
Localized Benign Pheochromocytoma
Regional Pheochromocytoma
Metastatic Pheochromocytoma
Recurrent Pheochromocytoma
Get More Information From NCI
Changes to This Summary (07/20/2007)
About PDQ
Description
What is pheochromocytoma?
Pheochromocytoma is a rare disease in which tumors form in
chromaffin cells of the body. Most
pheochromocytomas start inside the adrenal gland (the adrenal medulla) where
most chromaffin cells are located. There are two adrenal glands, one above
each kidney in the back of the upper abdomen. Cells in the adrenal glands make
important hormones that help the body work properly. Usually pheochromocytoma
affects only one adrenal gland. Pheochromocytoma may also start in other parts
of the body, such as the area around the heart or bladder.
Most tumors that start in the chromaffin cells do not spread to other parts of
the body and are not cancer. These are called benign tumors. If a tumor is
found, the doctor will need to determine whether it is cancer or benign.
Pheochromocytomas often cause the adrenal glands to make too many hormones
called catecholamines. The extra catecholamines cause high blood pressure (hypertension), which can cause headaches, sweating, pounding of the heart,
pain in the chest, and a feeling of anxiety. High blood pressure that goes on
for a long time without treatment can lead to heart disease, stroke, and other
major health problems.
If there are symptoms, a doctor may order blood and urine tests to see if there
are extra hormones in the body. A patient may also have a special nuclear
medicine scan. A CT scan, an x-ray that uses a computer to make a picture of
the inside of a part of the body or an MRI scan, which uses magnetic waves to
make a picture of the abdomen, may also be done.
Pheochromocytoma is sometimes part of a condition called multiple endocrine
neoplasia syndrome (MEN). People with MEN often have other cancers (such as thyroid cancer) and other hormonal problems.
The chance of recovery (prognosis) depends on how far the cancer has spread,
and the patient’s age and general health.
 Back to Top Stage Explanation
Stages of pheochromocytoma
Once pheochromocytoma is found, more tests will be done to see if the tumor has spread. This is called staging. A doctor needs to know the stage of the disease to plan treatment. The following stages are used for
pheochromocytoma:
Localized benign pheochromocytoma
Tumor is found in only one area and has not spread to other tissues. Most pheochromocytomas do not spread to other parts of the body and are not cancer.
Regional pheochromocytoma
Cancer has spread to lymph nodes in the area or to other tissues around the
original cancer. (Lymph nodes are small bean-shaped structures that are found
throughout the body. They produce and store infection -fighting cells.)
Metastatic pheochromocytoma
The cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
Recurrent pheochromocytoma
Recurrent disease means that the cancer has come back (recurred) after it has
been treated. It may come back in the area where it started or in another part
of the body.
Back to Top Treatment Option Overview
How pheochromocytoma is treated
There are treatments for all patients with pheochromocytoma. Three kinds of
treatment are used:
Surgery is the most common treatment of pheochromocytoma. A doctor may remove
one or both adrenal glands in an operation called adrenalectomy. The doctor
will look inside the abdomen to make sure all the cancer is removed. If the
cancer has spread, lymph nodes or other tissues may also be taken out.
Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be taken by
pill, or it may be put into the body by a needle in the vein or muscle.
Chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the drug enters the
bloodstream, travels through the body, and can kill cancer cells throughout the
body.
Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation comes from a machine outside the body (external radiation
therapy).
Treatment by stage
Treatments for pheochromocytoma depend on the stage of the disease, and the
patient’s age and overall health. For more information, call the Cancer
Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237); TTY at 1-800-332-8615.
Back to Top Localized Benign Pheochromocytoma
Treatment will probably be surgery to remove one or both adrenal glands (adrenalectomy). After surgery the doctor will order blood and urine tests to
make sure hormone levels return to normal.
Check for clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with localized benign pheochromocytoma.
Back to Top Regional Pheochromocytoma
Treatment may be one of the following:
- Surgery to remove one or both adrenal glands (adrenalectomy) and as much of the cancer as possible. If cancer remains after surgery, drugs will be given to control high blood pressure.
- External radiation therapy to relieve symptoms (in rare cases).
- Chemotherapy.
Check for clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with regional pheochromocytoma.
Back to Top Metastatic Pheochromocytoma
Treatment may be one of the following:
- Surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible. If cancer remains
after surgery, drugs will be given to control high blood pressure.
- External radiation therapy to relieve symptoms.
- Chemotherapy.
Check for clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with metastatic pheochromocytoma.
Back to Top Recurrent Pheochromocytoma
Treatment may be one of the following:
- Surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible. If cancer remains
after surgery, drugs will be given to control high blood pressure.
- External radiation therapy to relieve symptoms.
- Chemotherapy.
Check for clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with recurrent pheochromocytoma.
Back to Top Get More Information From NCI
Call 1-800-4-CANCER
For more information, U.S. residents may call the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) Cancer Information Service toll-free at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Deaf and hard-of-hearing callers with TTY equipment may call 1-800-332-8615. The call is free and a trained Cancer Information Specialist is available to answer your questions.
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The NCI's LiveHelp® online chat service provides Internet users with the ability to chat online with an Information Specialist. The service is available from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday. Information Specialists can help Internet users find information on NCI Web sites and answer questions about cancer.
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The NCI Web site provides online access to information on cancer, clinical trials, and other Web sites and organizations that offer support and resources for cancer patients and their families. For a quick search, use our “Best Bets” search box in the upper right hand corner of each Web page. The results that are most closely related to your search term will be listed as Best Bets at the top of the list of search results.
There are also many other places to get materials and information about cancer treatment and services. Hospitals in your area may have information about local and regional agencies that have information on finances, getting to and from treatment, receiving care at home, and dealing with problems related to cancer treatment.
Find Publications
The NCI has booklets and other materials for patients, health professionals, and the public. These publications discuss types of cancer, methods of cancer treatment, coping with cancer, and clinical trials. Some publications provide information on tests for cancer, cancer causes and prevention, cancer statistics, and NCI research activities. NCI materials on these and other topics may be ordered online or printed directly from the NCI Publications Locator. These materials can also be ordered by telephone from the Cancer Information Service toll-free at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237), TTY at 1-800-332-8615.
Back to Top Changes to This Summary (07/20/2007)
The PDQ cancer information summaries are reviewed regularly and updated as
new information becomes available. This section describes the latest
changes made to this summary as of the date above.
Editorial changes were made and glossary links were added to this summary.
Back to Top About PDQ
PDQ is a comprehensive cancer database available on NCI's Web site.
PDQ is the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) comprehensive cancer information database. Most of the information contained in PDQ is available online at NCI's Web site. PDQ is provided as a service of the NCI. The NCI is part of the National Institutes of Health, the federal government's focal point for biomedical research.
PDQ contains cancer information summaries.
The PDQ database contains summaries of the latest published information on cancer prevention, detection, genetics, treatment, supportive care, and complementary and alternative medicine. Most summaries are available in two versions. The health professional versions provide detailed information written in technical language. The patient versions are written in easy-to-understand, nontechnical language. Both versions provide current and accurate cancer information.
The PDQ cancer information summaries are developed by cancer experts and reviewed regularly.
Editorial Boards made up of experts in oncology and related specialties are responsible for writing and maintaining the cancer information summaries. The summaries are reviewed regularly and changes are made as new information becomes available. The date on each summary ("Date Last Modified") indicates the time of the most recent change.
PDQ also contains information on clinical trials.
A clinical trial is a study to answer a scientific question, such as whether one treatment is better than another. Trials are based on past studies and what has been learned in the laboratory. Each trial answers certain scientific questions in order to find new and better ways to help cancer patients. During treatment clinical trials, information is collected about the effects of a new treatment and how well it works. If a clinical trial shows that a new treatment is better than one currently being used, the new treatment may become "standard." Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. Some clinical trials are open only to patients who have not started treatment.
Listings of clinical trials are included in PDQ and are available online at NCI's Web site. Descriptions of the trials are available in health professional and patient versions. Many cancer doctors who take part in clinical trials are also listed in PDQ. For more information, call the Cancer Information Service 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237); TTY at 1-800-332-8615.
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