What percentage of paragangliomas are malignant?
What percentage of paragangliomas are malignant?
Most pheochromocytomas/paragangliomas are benign. At least 10 percent of pheochromocytomas are malignant (as defined by the presence of metastases), while a larger proportion of paragangliomas (up to 25 percent) are malignant.
Where are paragangliomas located?
Paragangliomas, also called glomus tumors, occur in a variety of places in the head and neck. They are rarely if ever cancerous. Almost half of all paragangliomas appear in the bone on the side of the head/skull (temporal bone).
Is a paraganglioma a brain tumour?
What is a paraganglioma? A paraganglioma is a type of tumour that arises from the peripheral nervous system (part of the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord), which is further divided into the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system.
How is paraganglioma treated?
Treatment of localized benign pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma is usually surgery to completely remove the tumor. If the tumor is in the adrenal gland, the entire adrenal gland is removed. Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients.
What is a paraganglioma?
A paraganglioma is a rare but treatable neuroendocrine tumor that usually forms along major blood vessels and nerve pathways in your neck and head. In most cases, the tumor is benign, but it can be malignant (cancer).
What hormones are produced in paraganglioma tumors?
With about half of paraganglioma tumors, the abnormal cells produce hormones known as catecholamines or adrenaline, which is the fight-or-flight hormone.
What is the treatment for hormone producing paraganglioma?
In people with hormone-producing paragangliomas, it’s critical to control blood pressure before surgery or other therapy. Surgery. Surgery to remove the tumor is generally the first choice for treatment, if feasible. Even if the tumor has spread, surgery is often used to reduce its size.
What happens if paraganglioma spreads after surgery?
Even if the tumor has spread, surgery is often used to reduce its size. If paraganglioma tissue that produces hormones is disturbed, as happens during surgery, hormones in the tumor can be released and cause serious problems, such as elevated blood pressure and pulse.