Pheochromocytoma Cancer

Definition of Pheochromocytoma: The tumor forms in the center of the adrenal gland (gland located above the kidney) and causes it to make too much adrenaline. Pheochromocytoma cancer is usually benign (which is the opposite of malignant) but can cause high blood pressure, pounding headaches, heart palpitations, flushing of the face, nausea, and vomiting.

What is cancer? Cancer is a group of many related diseases that all have to do with cells. There are billions of cells in each person's body. Cancer always occurs when the cells that are not normal grow and spread very fast. Normal body cells grow and divide and know when to stop growing. Over time, they also die. Unlike these normal cells, cancer cells just continue to grow and divide out of control and don't die.

Cancer cells usually group or clump together to form a tumor. A growing tumor becomes a lump of cancer cells that can destroy the normal cells around the tumor and damage the body's healthy tissues. This usually makes the person very sick. Sometimes cancer cells break away from the original tumor and travel to other areas of the body, where they keep growing and can go on to form new tumors. This is how cancer spreads. The spread of a tumor to a new place in the body is called metastasis.

The standard symptom, or indicator, of Pheochromocytoma (PCC) is excess adrenaline production. Often these patients will have recurring episodes of sweating, headache, and a feeling of high anxiety. The following symptoms are listed from the most common to the least common:

• Headaches (severe)

• Excess sweating (generalized)

• Racing heart (tachycardia and palpitations)

• Anxiety / nervousness (feelings of impending death)

• Nervous shaking (tremors)

• Pain in the lower chest or upper abdomen

• Nausea (with or without nausea)

• Weight loss

• Heat intolerance

To detect this kind of cancer there are oncologists that come up with a number of diagnosis’ tests that are used on both men and woman and do not vary much. A few would include a urine test, Blood test, CAT scan, and MRI scan. The CAT scan and MRI scan is a test that does a screening on the whole body and is the most accurate in finding out the tumors size, location and sometimes the amount of carcinogen.

Early detection for this cancer is useful to keep it from spreading to more parts of the body. Although this cancer is 90% benign after an amount of time it will move somewhere else through the blood stream. After that more than one biopsy would be needed to remove the tumor and the tissue around it. Also, if the cancer is not discovered early enough it could recur even after the tumor is removed.

The most common treatment for Pheochromocytoma depending on the prognosis is surgical removal of the entire affected adrenal gland or radiation. In most cases, signs and symptoms disappear. Blood pressure usually returns to normal within hours to a day following surgery. Before surgery, the doctor will prescribe medications to block the effects of the adrenal hormones and control blood pressure. If both adrenal glands are affected by Pheochromocytoma and are surgically removed, you'll need to take medication to replace hormones once produced by these glands.

Unfortunately radiation treatment for Pheochromocytoma cancer does cause damage to the healthy tissues as well. The commonest side effect is extreme fatigue. Although rest is good, most radiotherapists