title: Treatment of pituitary tumors: history.
abstract: Over the past century our understanding of the pituitary disease has undergone an amazing evolution, accompanied by impressive advances in the therapeutic approaches to pituitary tumors. This historical review aims to provide insights into the contributions of key medical and scientific pioneers, their occasionally serendipitous discoveries, and the lively global debates, which have ultimately improved the therapeutic targets and the long-term outcome of these patients. The development of the three main modalities is discussed (surgery, irradiation, pharmacotherapy). More recent experimental data, which may provide a path to a stronger therapeutic armamentarium for these undoubtedly challenging tumors, are also briefly reported.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Gaya
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Thanabalasingham
authors.forename: Niki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Karavitaki
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cudlip
authors.forename: John A H
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Wass
mesh_terms: D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000266:history* / Q000628:therapy*