Follow-up after treatment for pituitary gland tumours
Follow-up after treatment is an important part of your care. Follow-up for pituitary gland tumours is often shared among specialists, such as an endocrinologist and a neurosurgeon, and your family doctor. Your healthcare team will work with you to decide on follow-up care to meet your needs.
Don’t wait until your next scheduled appointment to report any new symptoms and symptoms that don’t go away. Tell your healthcare team if you have:
- vision problems
- headaches
- dizziness
- fatigue
Schedule for follow-up visits
Follow-up visits for a pituitary gland tumour may be scheduled every 3 to 6 months, especially for the first few years. But how often these visits are scheduled depends a lot on the type of tumour and treatments you had. Talk to your doctor about the best schedule for you.
Some pituitary gland tumours are more likely than others to come back after treatment. You will need close follow-up if you have one of these types.
During follow-up visits
During a follow-up visit, your healthcare team will usually ask questions about the side effects of treatment and how you’re coping. They may also ask about certain symptoms that could mean your hormone levels are abnormal.
Your doctor may do a physical exam and check:
- eyes and vision
- reflexes
- blood pressure
- for signs of abnormal hormone levels
Tests are often part of follow-up care. You may have:
- blood tests to check hormone levels every few months
- an MRI or CT scan to look at the pituitary gland or the tumour (or both) or to look for recurrence
If the tumour has come back or continues to grow after treatment, you and your healthcare team will discuss a plan for your treatment and care.
Questions to ask about follow-up
To make the decisions that are right for you, ask your healthcare team questions about follow-up.