So how has Bake Off Sue lived with a brain tumour for eight years?
SHE’S long been one of the most popular faces on TV. And if she’d ever doubted it, Bake Off presenter Sue Perkins would have been buoyed by the reaction of fans to news that she’s been living with a non-cancerous brain tumour for the past eight years.
Yesterday, the 45-year-old presenter was inundated with what she called ‘sweet tweets’ after revealing news of the tumour in an interview.
Perkins, who is in a relationship with TV presenter Anna Richardson, said she was devastated when she found out the growth affected the production of reproductive hormones.
She added: ‘I don’t know if I would have gone on to have children. But as soon as someone says you can’t have something, you want it more than anything.
‘Sometimes it’s big and makes me mad, and sometimes it’s small and is in the background. Sometimes it screws up my hormones. I have various tests now to make sure the side-effects aren’t too onerous.’
However, she insisted her condition was under control, saying: ‘I’m lucky it’s benign, so it’s not in itself a worrying thing.’
The TV star, who has a tumour known as a prolactinoma, only discovered the growth by chance while undergoing medical tests for another BBC show, Supersizers.
Perkins also took to Twitter to let her fans know she was ‘all fine’ and to thank them for their support after many described her as ‘brave’ and an ‘inspiration’.
She tweeted: ‘Ta for sweet tweets about my prolactinoma. It’s benign & non- symptomatic. All fine. Let’s focus on those less fortunate in the world. X.’
So what is a prolactinoma, and what impact does it have on a woman and her fertility?
WHAT EXACTLY IS A PROLACTINOMA?
IT’S A form of non-cancerous brain tumour that grows on the pituitary gland, which controls our hormones and is located at the base of the brain.
The tumour makes it pump out excess amounts of the hormone prolactin. This hormone helps to regulate mood in both men and women, and stimulates the breasts to produce milk after childbirth.
In men, it helps to control testosterone and sperm production.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
HAVIng too much prolactin in the bloodstream can cause a range of health issues.
In women it typically leads to irregular periods and nausea, as it essentially tricks the body into thinking a woman is breast-feeding a baby.
‘This does not cause permanent damage to the reproductive organs and is usually reversible if treatment is given,’ says Professor John newell- Price, professor of Endocrinology at the University of Sheffield and a trustee of the Pituitary Foundation.
Over a longer period of time, too much prolactin can also disrupt other important hormones affecting reproduction and fertility, such as luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone, which drive the female menstrual cycle and prompt the release of eggs.
Men may find that they are unable to maintain an erection, that their testicles become smaller, and that they lose their sex drive. Both men and women can experience production of milk.
Headaches can occur if a tumour grows so large that it compresses nerves, and if the tumour grows upwards it can press on the optic nerves which cross just above the pituitary gland.
‘This can lead to tunnel vision and even blindness if not treated promptly, either through drug therapy or radiotherapy to shrink the tumour,’ says Professor newell-Price.
Most people have only a tiny tumour — known as a microprolactinoma — and 95 per cent of the growths usually shrink of their own accord four to six years after appearing.
CAN THE TUMOUR CHANGE SIZE?
COnSULTAnT neurosurgeon Colin Shieff, from the national Hospital for neurology and neurosurgery, says the tumour is unlikely to get larger or smaller without treatment, but the amount of prolactin that is produced may vary as sometimes a tumour may respond better to treatment than at other times.
WHO IS AT RISK?
BOTH men and women, but prolactinoma is ten times more common among women.
The growth is most common in people under the age of 40. It is estimated that there are around 2,000 people currently diagnosed with the condition in the UK.
IS IT CANCER?
IT ISn’T cancer, meaning it doesn’t spread to other parts of the body.
However, these tumours can still cause serious health problems if they grow and start damaging surrounding tissue, such as the large blood vessels that take blood to and from the brain or the optic nerves.
In some cases, the tumours can become as big as a fist, pressing on surrounding tissue and nerves.
They are not fatal, however.
HOW IS IT DIAGNOSED?
A SIMPLE blood test can flag up a potential problem, says Professor newell-Price. ‘ Doctors measure levels of the hormone prolactin in the blood and then confirm their diagnosis using brain scans. ‘An MRI scan is the best way to see if a tumour is growing on or into the pituitary gland, although CT scans can also give an indication of the size and location of the prolactinoma.
‘Unfortunately, delays in diagnosis of this condition are common. generally women are more likely to realise that something is wrong because their periods usually stop. But they may put it down to other things.’
It’s possible that you could live with this for months and even years without knowing.
CAN IT STOP YOU GETTING PREGNANT?
YES — if untreated. ‘Prolactin makes you produce breast milk but it also tends to prevent egg release,’ says Mr Shieff.
However, once treatment is started, most women of child-bearing age should be able to have children.
‘ There is no reason why this condition should stop most women having families if they want, as long as they undergo treatment,’ says Professor newell-Price.
However, if you do manage to conceive, it is possible that pregnancy could cause these tumours to expand.
‘It’s unlikely to make the tumour grow much larger, but sometimes they might grow a bit,’ says Mr Shieff. ‘If it’s a small growth in a significant place, such as very close to the optic nerve, a bit of swelling around the tumour might cause a problem.’
WHAT IS THE TREATMENT?
Around 95 per cent of patients with small tumours respond well to medication, which includes dopamine agonists to prohibit the production of prolactin.
Even patients who have very large tumours can often be treated just with drugs.
‘It can take a year or two, but medication will usually have an effect and cause the tumour to shrink,’ says Professor newell-Price.
For those who do not respond to other treatments, surgery and radiotherapy can be helpful.
ANY LONG-TERM EFFECTS?
ovEr the years, raised levels of prolactin — and the effect that has on the menstrual cycle — can reduce the production of the hormone oestrogen, which helps to maintain strong bones.
Hence even two years of raised prolactin can leave women vulnerable to osteoporosis later in life.
Sarah Leyland, Senior nurse and Helpline Manager at the national osteoporosis Society, says: ‘Bone density scans will often be used in this situation to monitor bone density and potential loss of bone strength.’
If necessary, oestrogen replacement (HrT) may be prescribed to help keep bones strong.