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Summary

Pheochromocytoma is a rare tumor that usually starts in the cells of one of your adrenal glands. Although they are usually benign, pheochromocytomas often cause the adrenal gland to make too many hormones. This can lead to high blood pressure and cause symptoms such as :

• Headaches
• Sweating
• Pounding of the heart
• Being shaky
• Being extremely pale

Sometimes pheochromocytoma is part of another condition called multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome (MEN). People with MEN often have other cancers and other problems involving hormones.

Doctors use lab tests and imaging tests to diagnose it. Surgery is the most common treatment. Other options include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy. Targeted therapy uses drugs or other substances that attack specific cancer cells with less harm to normal cells.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Start Here

• About Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma (Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish
• General Information about Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Pheochromocytoma (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma: Overview (Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)

Symptoms

• What Are Common Symptoms of Pheochromocytoma? (Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Catecholamine Tests (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• How Do Health Care Providers Diagnose Pheochromocytoma? (Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish
• Stages of Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Adrenal Gland Removal (Adrenalectomy) (Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons)
• Drugs Approved for Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma (National Cancer Institute)
• Treatment Option Overview (Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma) (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type I (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Genetics

• Hereditary paraganglioma-pheochromocytoma: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Nonsyndromic paraganglioma: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Pheochromocytoma (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Long-term outcomes and prognostic factors of metastatic or recurrent pheochromocytoma and...
• Article: Polyamine Pathway Inhibitor DENSPM Suppresses Lipid Metabolism in Pheochromocytoma Cell Line.
• Article: Genotype and clinical phenotype characteristics of MAX germline mutation-associated pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma syndrome.
• Pheochromocytoma -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• American Cancer Society
• Choosing a Cancer Doctor (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• Find an Endocrinologist (Endocrine Society)
• National Cancer Institute Also in Spanish

Children

• Childhood Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma Treatment (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Adrenal gland removal (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Catecholamine blood test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Catecholamines - urine (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• MIBG scintiscan (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Pheochromocytoma (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish