Aggressive and malignant pituitary tumours: does the sex matter?
Authors' conclusion
Male sex is associated with higher prevalence and more aggressive disease, whereas women achieve more profound tumour and hormonal responses.
Study context
- Population
- Corticotroph and lactotroph aggressive pituitary tumours (APT) and pituitary carcinomas (PC) with sex-related data93 corticotroph, 80 lactotroph
- Comparison
- Men vs women with corticotroph and lactotroph aggressive pituitary tumours/pituitary carcinomas
- Outcome
- Corticotroph APT/PC: sex differences
Methodological detailspublished 2000 to October 2025, sex-stratified analysis
- Published 2000 to October 2025
- Sex-stratified analysis
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Non-functioning lesions, M vs W
36.5% vs 17.6%
Loss of hormonal secretion, M
7.7%, n = 4/52
Complete radiological response, W vs M
22.2% vs 9.1%
Further findings
| Outcome | P value |
|---|---|
| Lactotroph APT/PC: sex differences | p: 0.02 |
- Lactotroph APT/PC: sex differences — Giant tumours, M vs W
- 27.3% vs 5.0%
- Lactotroph APT/PC: sex differences — Invasive disease, M vs W
- 83.3% vs 63.6%
- Lactotroph APT/PC: sex differences — Partial durable responses to temozolomide predominated in M
- 46.2%, n = 18/39
- Lactotroph APT/PC: sex differences: complete tumour response to temozolomide exclusively in W: 22.7%, n = 5/22
- Lactotroph APT/PC: sex differences: 80 lactotroph APT/PC (29 W, 51 M)
Lactotroph APT/PC: sex differences
- Higher PRL levels and dopamine agonist resistance in M
Original publication
Aggressive and malignant pituitary tumours: does the sex matter? Pituitary. Published 7 March 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →