Pheochromocytoma is a rare tumour disease in which a neoplasm develops in the adrenal medulla. Most often, pheochromocytoma is a benign tumour, but in 10% of cases, the neoplasm can be malignant (pheochromoblastoma). In Israel, treatment for pheochromocytoma is conducted by the best specialists who possess extensive knowledge about any, even the rarest diseases.
The Israeli Top Ichilov Clinic is widely known for its oncology department, whose doctors successfully apply the most advanced treatment methods for tumour diseases. Diagnosis and treatment of pheochromocytoma, due to its nonspecific symptoms, as well as cases where the tumour develops not in the adrenal glands but in the sympathetic ganglia, can often be quite challenging. However, specialists at the Top Ichilov Medical Center, equipped with the most modern technology, easily identify the neoplasm and begin immediate treatment.
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Pheochromoblastoma and Pheochromocytoma: Treatment in Israel
Treatment for pheochromocytoma includes therapeutic and surgical procedures.
1. Conservative therapy using medications is necessary to reduce the manifestations of the disease and prepare the patient for surgery. At the Top Ichilov Clinic, patients are prescribed the following medications:
- Medications that reduce the effects of adrenaline to prevent the development of a crisis;
- Drugs to reduce heart rate;
- Substances that block the secretion of catecholamines;
- Medications that prevent the development of a catecholamine crisis during surgery;
- Chemotherapeutic agents for treating pheochromoblastoma and its metastases;
2. Surgical removal of the tumour is mandatory. Surgical excision of pheochromocytoma is performed either through open access or laparoscopic method — which is less traumatic for the patient. The surgeon prefers one of these methods, considering all factors: the size and location of the tumour, the age and overall condition of the patient, etc.
Diagnosis of Pheochromocytoma
To help the patient, it is very important to make the correct diagnosis and differentiate pheochromocytoma from other diseases with similar symptoms. At the Top Ichilov Medical Center, patients with an unconfirmed diagnosis of "pheochromocytoma" undergo a basic diagnostic examination consisting of the following procedures:
- Examination and consultation with a specialist.
- Analysis of 24-hour urine, including the determination of norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine, metanephrines, and other hormones.
- Blood test to determine the concentration of chromogranin A.
- Conducting diagnostic tests with various markers.
- CT/MRI.
- Ultrasound.
- Radioisotope examination of the adrenal glands.
- Blood tests taken through a catheter from the inferior vena cava.