Cushing's Syndrome Awareness

In this video, Laurence Katznelson, MD, professor of neurosurgery and medicine (endocrinology) at Stanford University School of Medicine and medical director of the Pituitary Center at Stanford Hospital and Clinics, discusses several topics:

• risk factors for Cushing’s syndrome, including the use of high-dose steroids to treat other conditions, pituitary tumors and adrenal tumors;
• factors to consider when making treatment decisions for Cushing’s syndrome, and options available to patients with Cushing’s disease, including surgical options, medical therapy or radiation;
• how Cushing’s syndrome differs in men and women, including different presentations of Cushing’s disease and higher rates of Cushing’s disease in women;
• the “explosion of medications for Cushing’s syndrome” in the last 5 years, including pasireotide (Signifor LAR, Recordati Rare Diseases), levoketoconazole (Recorlev, Xeris Biopharma), osilodrostat (Isturisa, Recordati Rare Diseases), mifepristone and surgical advancements;
• how Cushing’s syndrome presents in children, including obesity, stunted growth and hypertension; and
• the importance of increasing awareness of Cushing’s syndrome among primary care providers through education to help them identify the differences between more common conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome and Cushing’s syndrome, and the role patient advocacy groups play in awareness.