Treatment means surgery
Whenever possible, we perform minimally invasive keyhole surgery. This laparoscopy involves just a few small incisions and is considered to be gentle. If this is not possible (e.g. in the case of very large tumors), open surgery via abdominal incision is used.
Seven to 14 days before the operation, you must take so-called alpha blockers as special blood pressure medication. Phenoxybenzamine is a frequently used active ingredient. The drug neutralizes the effect of adrenaline and noradrenaline on the blood vessels. This helps to prevent high blood pressure incidents and cardiac arrhythmias during anesthesia and surgery.
Rarity of the disease
Due to the rarity of pheochromocytoma, it makes sense to have the treatment carried out in a center hospital such as the USZ. We form an interdisciplinary and experienced treatment team from various specialist areas (anesthesia, endocrinology, visceral surgery and nuclear medicine) to provide you with optimal care before, during and after the operation.
Further treatments after surgery
In around five to ten percent of cases, the pheochromocytoma is malignant. The tumor has either invaded neighboring tissue or has led to cancer metastases. The operation is then followed by further treatments.
The following options are available:
- Alpha blockers: For tumors that cannot be operated on and cause symptoms, long-term therapy with alpha blockers is a possible adjuvant therapy.
- Radioiodine therapy (I131-MIBG or 177Lu-DOTATATE): A nuclear medicine procedure in which we use radioactive iodine or somatostatin analogs as a radiation source.
- Chemotherapy: To date, there is little data on the efficacy of cytotoxic agents (cytostatics, chemotherapeutics) in pheochromocytomas.
Researchers are also working on the development of new drugs, such as multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitors. However, the drugs are still being tested in trials.
All patients with a pheochromocytoma should have an annual follow-up examination by an endocrinologist in order to detect and treat a recurring tumor at an early stage.
