How aggressive are endocrine tumours?

In the majority of cases, these tumours are benign and sporadic. However, even if the tumours are benign, they can sometimes cause significant problems due to the hypersecretion of various hormones. A typical example is Cushing’s disease, caused by a benign neuroendocrine tumour (adenoma) in the pituitary gland. If the disease is not treated in a timely manner, it can be fatal.

In addition, it is possible that the endocrine tumour(s) are part of a genetic syndrome that is inherited from generation to generation, increasing the morbidity rate and sometimes reducing survival expectancy, even if such tumours are benign. In this case, their treatment is complex and requires specialized centers.