Brain tumors can be a scary topic for many people. But not all tumors are harmful or deadly. Some are benign, which means they don’t spread to other parts of the body.
One type of benign tumor that’s very common is called a non-functioning pituitary microadenoma (NFPA). It grows in a small gland in our brain called the pituitary gland.
Even though it sounds complicated, it’s really small, less than 1cm across. Around 10% of people have these little tumors and they usually don’t cause any problems.
The UK Study
A big new study in the UK looked at these common little brain tumors. The study, which was the largest of its kind, has been published in the European Journal of Endocrinology.
It studied 419 people who had these NFPAs. The study took place across 23 specialist sites.
Dr. Niki Karavitaki from the University of Birmingham led the study. Her team found that these tiny tumors are more likely to shrink or disappear on their own than to grow.
Specifically, the team found that there was a 14% chance of the tumors getting smaller or vanishing, while only a 7.8% chance of them growing within the first three years of monitoring.
Among those tumors that did grow, the average growth was only 2mm. Out of the 419 participants, only eight had their tumors removed through surgery. Only one of these eight had any trouble with their vision.
The Impact of the Study
Dr. Karavitaki stated, “These data are the best picture that we have in the UK of how these common tumors progress over a period of three to five years.
The results show that most people, who are often diagnosed with these tumors as part of an unrelated scan, don’t need annual check on these tumors with the majority of adenomas either remaining the same size or shrinking.”
This new study has led the research group, called the UK NFPA Consortium, to suggest that the clinical guidelines for dealing with these tumors should be changed.
They believe that instead of doing yearly scans, a single scan three years after the tumor is first found would be enough. This approach would be safer and save money.
Importance of the Study Findings
The new finding can change how doctors monitor these common benign tumors.
As per Dr. Karavitaki, “At the moment, people are often being re-scanned on an annual basis during the first years from the initial detection of the tumor without a really clear clinical rationale, and our results show that for those with microadenomas those scans are unnecessary which can lead to space being freed up for other conditions.”
This study also highlighted that the current frequency of scans in the UK varies greatly.
The research team believes that their findings should lead to a more cost-effective and safe approach due to the very low risks involved.
In other words, if you’ve got one of these common benign brain tumors, you probably don’t need to worry too much about it or have scans every year.
This new approach will save patients from unnecessary stress and can free up healthcare resources for other conditions. A win-win for all.
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The study was published in the European Journal of Endocrinology.
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