Recovery & Support for Pituitary Tumors

Endocrinologists and neurosurgeons at NYU Langone play an active role in follow-up care for people with benign pituitary tumors requiring treatment. If you received treatment for a pituitary cancer, which is rare, doctors at Perlmutter Cancer Center provide ongoing care.

If you have had surgery, with or without radiation therapy, you may need MRI scans to see if the tumor has returned and bloodwork to check your hormone levels every year. This helps ensure that treatment has been effective. If you are taking medication, you may need to see your endocrinologist, a doctor who treats hormonal conditions, every few months to monitor your hormone levels with blood tests.

Our doctors, psychologists, social workers, and rehabilitation therapists are committed to helping you manage your hormone levels and keep you feeling your best during and after treatment.

Visual Rehabilitation

Large benign pituitary tumors can occur near the optic nerves, which run from the eyes to the brain and enable people to see. As a result, treatments or the tumor itself can sometimes cause vision problems. Cancerous pituitary tumors can also cause problems with vision.

Our team of specialists at Rusk Rehabilitation includes rehabilitation physicians, neurologists, and neuro-ophthalmologists, who specialize in visual problems that occur as a result of brain trauma or a tumor. They can help people adapt to changes in vision or learn how to compensate for vision loss.

Therapists at Rusk Rehabilitation help you achieve the highest possible level of independence.

Supportive and Integrative Care

The supportive care team at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center provides treatment for any tumor- or treatment-related discomfort associated with pituitary cancer. Pain management may include medication or integrative therapies.

Our integrative health services include acupuncture, which may relieve tumor-related pain and fatigue caused by radiation therapy. Yoga and massage therapy can help reduce stress.

Psychological and Social Work Support

Support groups and one-on-one counseling sessions with a psycho-oncologist, a healthcare provider who is trained to address the psychological needs of people with a pituitary tumor, are available at Perlmutter Cancer Center. Counseling can help manage any stress or anxiety you may be experiencing.

Social workers are also available to help you address any financial matters, such as insurance reimbursement, which may arise during or after treatment.