MANAGEMENT OF PITUITARY TUMOURS BY RADIOTHERAPY

This information leaflet aims to give you a brief outline of your Treatment Planning process and more specific information about the possible side effects of your radiotherapy treatment.

Treatment

Patients receiving radiotherapy to the pituitary will need to wear a special plastic "shell" or mask during their daily radiotherapy sessions.

Making the shell involves two visits to the Department’s Mould Room. On the first visit an impression of the back of the head is taken using an inflatable pillow moulded to the shape. On the second visit, an impression is taken of the face and neck using plaster bandage (avoiding the mouth and nose area). This procedure takes about 25 minutes and is completely painless, if a little messy!

You will receive an appointment to attend for treatment planning a day or two later when your shell has completed. Your planning appointment will last approximately 35 minutes and you will need to wear your shell during this time. Your Radiotherapist uses an x-ray screening device to carefully determine the exact area to be treated. Positioning marks are then drawn onto your shell that enable the Radiographers to accurately reproduce your treatment "set-up" each day. In some cases a CT scan may be required as part of your treatment planning.

Once the exact area to be treated has been decided, a computerised dose calculation is prepared for you. This can take one or two days to be completed and checked.

Your first treatment usually takes place within a week of your planning appointment. Treatment is given on a machine called a Linear Accelerator, which produces high energy beams of x-rays. This takes as little as 10 minutes a day and is completely painless.

You will receive 20 fractions over four weeks (5 fractions/wk Monday – Friday) and will be assessed in the Out-Patient Clinic at least once per week, (Thursday a.m.).

Treatment is given on an out-patient basis usually by using your own transport. In case you require transport please let us know at the time of the first consultation.

Hair Loss: Some hair loss occurs at both sideburn areas (temples) temporarily which can be covered by scalp hair.

Tiredness: Tiredness during and after treatment is quite normal. Your body is using energy as part of the healing process. You may find that you sleep 2 to 3 hours per day more than usual. The treatment has finished since the effects of radiotherapy last long after treatment itself is complete. Try to eat well and get plenty of rest and relaxation, as well as a little exercise if you can. A good balance between activity and rest may actually help the feeling of tiredness.

Follow-up: After seeing just once in Radiotherapy Follow-up Clinic to assess side effects you will be discharged from follow-up as you will be attending Endocrine & Neurosurgery Clinic for follow-up.

Driving

DVLA recommend that provided there is no visual field defect then you may drive following recovery.  If there is a visual defect then driving is only permissible if certain requirements are met which will require examination by an ophthalmic expert in such matters.  For details why not contact the website of the DVLA on www.dvla.gov.uk.

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Ó NHS Tayside; 2006; version 1.0

Disclaimer; no liability whatsoever is accepted for information given and all such information, especially with regard to drug usage (UK version provided), must be checked with a person’s health provider.