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| Pituitary tumors and attendant pituitary/hormonal disorders manifest themselves in three distinct ways... Read Article |
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NEW! 2008 PNA
Awareness T-Shirt |
4th Edition Pituitary Resource Guide |
PNA Hand Made Beaded Bracelet
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WE ARE HERE because as patients, just a few years ago, there was nowhere to turn for help. Now there is! A group of patients with the help of some great Physicians and Surgeons, formed this organization with one aim only; PROVIDE HELP, ANSWERS AND INFORMATION.
YOU ARE HERE because you NEED INFORMATION ... WE PROVIDE IT!
As a 501( c ) (3 ) non-profit organization we derive no profit from helping out. We do it because it is the right thing to do. We just need help in doing it. Many lives are at stake, maybe including yours, and we take this seriously. So should you. A pituitary Disorder/Tumor/Lesion/Cyst is NOT in a category of a cold or a passing health problem you can easily "tough it through". Chances are you can't without proper medical care! We have the help you need! Avail yourself of it. It may be the cheapest medical care you ever receive. Get our books and materials and join us. Your health, and possibly your life, depends on making the right decisions. We are here to help you and your family do just that!
OUR MISSION:
To support, pursue, encourage, promote and where possible, fund research on Pituitary Disorders in a sustained and full time effort to find a cure for these illnesses. The PNA will disseminate information helpful to the Medical Community, the public and to pituitary patients and their families on matters regarding early detection, symptoms, treatments and resources available to patients with pituitary disease.
Note: The PNA does not receive Federal or State Funding for any of its work, projects or studies. |
| So many patients are not diagnosed for years, due to overlooking a few of the simple tell-tale symptoms of a Pituitary Disorder: |
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Headaches
Depression
Mood/Emotion Swings
Anger
Loss of Memory
Loss of Sleep
Sexual Dysfunction |
Eating Disorders
- Anorexia
- Obesity
- Bulimia
- Weight Gain
Lethargy
Weakness in Limbs |
High Blood Pressure
Diabetes
Infertility
Impotence
Irregular Menses
Lactating
Unusual Hair Growth |
| Take time to go through the important information here on the PNA Website. Remember, the list above is merely an overview of possible symptoms you may be experiencing. |
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Get the new Pituitary Patient Resource Guide Fourth Edition - your one-stop source for today's leading Pituitary Specialists, Treatment Centers, drugs, Support Groups, studies and more. So informative that even physicians rely on it. The PNA Resource Guide is kept up-to-date with periodic supplements sent to you free of charge.
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Join the PNA - We are a non-profit. Your donations are VITAL to ensure our relentless efforts to bring relief, knowledge, resources, proper diagnosis and treatment to pituitary disorder sufferers are successful. Basic membership includes a subscription to the PNA Highlights online newsletter, access to the Physician's Resource Center, plus discounts on all bookstore items and PNA events. No other organization is fighting - and winning - this battle for you. But without your support it could all go away. Don't let that happen!
Join the PNA
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Explore this website - Until the day comes when it's common for pituitary disorders to be properly diagnosed and treated by family physicians and specialists, it's up to YOU to become actively involved in this process. The PNA website offers a wealth of information to you. You'll find news of the PNA's efforts, articles on the latest studies, links to successful treatment centers, forums where you can compare notes with other pituitary patients, reports from physicians on the leading edge of research and treatment, a bookstore loaded with invaluable resources, and much more - all continually updated. |
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Conservatively, ONE IN FIVE develop or harbor PITUITARY TUMORS. |
Some have estimated nearly 30%. In reviewing dozens of studies over the past 80 years on the Prevalence of Pituitary Tumors, the consensus was reached that at least 16.7% of the population develop or harbor pituitary tumors. Supported by the PNA and published by the American Cancer Society June 2004, the systematic review abstract "The Prevalence of Pituitary Adenomas" can be viewed at: :
www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/
109085480/ABSTRACT |
PNA PRAISES REVISED HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE BILL
(Los Angeles, CA – May 1, 2008) - 4 year old Bryan from Miami, Florida was born without a Pituitary Gland. Since the day he was born, Bryan is alive thanks to human growth hormones (hGH), and hormones such as testosterone, thyroid and adrenal hormone replacement and other medicines. The Pituitary Network Association (PNA) hears endless stories of children like Bryan whose lives depend on hGH.
Read Press Release |
TOUCH BRIEFINGS: US ENDOCRINE DISEASE - DECEMBER 2007
a report by Edward R Laws, MD, PhD, FACS and Robert Knutzen, MBA |
In the 1930s a young investigator at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, had a unique opportunity. Robert Costello conducted a careful and systematic analysis of pituitary glands obtained at post mortem examination from patients who had no obvious symptoms of
endocrine disorders. The results were published in 1936. In this study of 1,000 human pituitary glands he discovered more than 200 benign
tumors... |
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TOUCH BRIEFINGS: US ENDOCRINE DISEASE - JANUARY 2007
FOREWORD a report by Robert Knutzen, MBA - Chairman & CEO, Pituitary Network Association |
| At the current time, society, patients and the medical community are seemingly focusing all of their efforts and attention to the treatment of pituitary tumors and their eradication or diminution. There seems to be a lack of understanding of the seriousness and possible multiple health failure consequences of the effects of those adenomas on the function of the normal gland. |
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TOUCH BRIEFINGS: US ENDOCRINE DISEASE - JANUARY 2007
THE PROBLEM OF THE AGGRESSIVE PITUITARY TUMOR
by Ian E McCutcheon, MD, FRCS(C) Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer Center |
| Invasion, proliferation, and metastatic ability are three ways in which tumors take root, grow, and advance. Although proliferative tumors can be invasive, and invasion is a prerequisite to metastasis, none of these qualities automatically links to the others in a given tumor.Thus, each should be considered as sufficient, but not necessary, for a tumor to qualify as aggressive. |
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August 2006 Article: A SMALL DISSERTATION ON HEALTHCARE
by Robert Knutzen, MBA, CEO Pituitary Network Association |
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The healthcare component of the American dream is in shambles. Even those who have health insurance through their employers, unions or their own savings or insurance are not well served. They often complain bitterly of drastically increasing costs and spotty or non-existent access to the latest diagnostic tools and the best treatment options.
It is my belief that the medical system suffers from the same disorder that society chafes under: information overload. Untold amounts of unapplied knowledge exists in a mosaic of |
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information that is so far beyond man’s ability to read, absorb, store, retrieve and utilize, that it is effectively out of reach, even for the most sophisticated person. Hence, it is also out of reach for everyone who rails against or despairs in the current medical system. | 
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PNA's HIGHLIGHTS NEWSLETTERS
Sign up now for our comprehensive monthly enewsletters! To be placed on this mailing list, please send an email to: debi@pituitary.org.
Here is a sample of our latest HIGHLIGHTS:
June 2008
May 2008 |
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Updated: June 18th, 2008
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- SAVE THE DATES December in the Desert 2008, Dec 15 thru 17, Rancho Mirage, CA
- Clinical Endocrinology Update 2008 September 25-28,
Boston, MA
- The AAMFT Annual Conference Oct 30th - Nov 2nd, Memphis, TN
- 13th International Congress of Endocrinology November 08 to 12, Rio de Janeiro
Clinical Trial: Cushing's Disease Study The purpose of this clinical research study is to determine the most safe and effective dose of an investigational drug for participants 18 years of age and older who have ACTH-dependent Cushing’s disease. An “investigational drug” is a drug that is being tested and is not approved for sale in the United States by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Trial Details
More
Honorary Chairman of Board of Governors of the PNA, Scott Hamilton featured in PEOPLE MAGAZINE Olympic Gold medalist skater and cancer survivor Scott Hamilton serves as Honorary Chairman of the Board of Governors for PNA. Scott is a Pituitary patient who was diagnosed with a tumor and has recovered from the non-cancerous pituitary tumor. His profile in PEOPLE MAGAZINE this week tells the story of an incredible athlete, husband, father, survivor and role model.
Read Press Release
HGH Bill Altered in Order to Help Children. A Senate bill originally designed to combat use of human growth hormone by athletes and celebrities has been altered in recent weeks to protect another group: children who use HGH to counter growth deficiencies. Read Article
PNA's Satellite Website: Acromegaly.org Get quick answers to your questions about Acromegaly:
- What is Acromegaly?
- Symptoms
- Diagnosis
- Treatment
Visit www.acromegaly.org
Now in Spanish and English.
ASCO: Neuroendocrine Tumors Respond to Treatment with RAD001. ASCO: American Society of Clinical Oncology Meeting Coverage - Carcinoid tumors and pancreatic islet cell lesions appear to be sensitive to treatment with the investigational drug RAD001 (everolimus), researchers said here.
Patient Advocacy in Germany Over Troubled Heathcare.
Ever since Otto von Bismarck, 19th-century Chancellor of Germany created sickness insurance funds to provide the population with access to healthcare, Germany has championed its national healthcare system as a model of success. Other countries have since replicated the insurance-based scheme in their own national health systems. But today, Germany's healthcare system faces a crisis. Read Article
Low Testosterone May Raise Death Risk. Men should perhaps pay close attention to their testosterone levels as they age, because chronically
low levels might be shortening their lifespans, according to a new observational study.
Endocrine Society /
Endocrine News Article
Visit Endocrine Society website at: www.endo-society.org
The Journal of Neurosurgery publishes an on line peer reviewed journal called NeurosurgicalFocus. The format of this journal is to present a new "Topic" each month that contains numerous peer reviewed articles. The Topic for September 2007 is The Diagnosis and Management of Cushing's Disease edited by Dr. William Couldwell.
Mechanisms of Disease: The Pathogenesis of Pituitary Tumors - Posted 5/3/2006
Shereen Ezzat; Sylvia L Asa
Pituitary tumors exhibit a spectrum of biology, with variable growth and hormonal behaviors. They therefore provide an opportunity to examine pathogenetic mechanisms that underline the neoplastic process. These include alterations in hormone regulation, growth-factor stimulation, cell-cycle control and cell-stromal interactions that result from genetic mutations or epigenetic disruption of gene expression. Mouse models have validated the roles of these alterations, which can be targets for the development of therapies that can manage these lesions. These therapies are increasingly recognized as critical for quality of life.
Read Article
Disability Rights Online News is a bi-monthly update about the Civil Rights Division's activities in the area of diability rights. The Division enforces laws prohibiting discrimination based on disability in employment, housing, access to businesses serving the public, access to government programs and services, including voting and public transportation, and unconstitutional conditions in institutions of confinement.
Newsletter
"It's All In Your Head"
Physicians - Answer your patient's questions with these informative brochures-
PNA has been assisted by some of the finest minds amongst your colleagues in order to achieve the superb quality of brochures designed for patients after initial diagnosis, and upon commencing treatment.
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