What is a craniopharyngioma?

What is a craniopharyngioma?

A craniopharyngioma is a rare benign tumor that develops near your pituitary gland. This is a slow-growing tumor that can affect your cranial nerves, which are responsible for vision, and your endocrine system, which is responsible for the hormonal function of your body.

The main treatments for craniopharyngiomas are surgery and radiation therapy. Chemotherapy has emerged as an option for a special papillary subtype of craniopharyngioma.

More than 90% of people with this tumor are alive five years after diagnosis. That said, these tumors are treated as a chronic condition because treatment doesn’t always cure the conditions the tumors cause and because this kind of tumor often comes back (recurs).