Dance musician and Bicep producer Matt McBriar reveals his treatment for a large, rare pituitary gland tumour. Learn more about his journey and the condition.
The music producer best known as half of the dance music act Bicep has revealed that he is undergoing treatment for a large and rare pituitary gland tumour. BBC News reports that Matt McBriar, who is from Belfast but based in London, posted information about his condition on his Instagram account.
Mr McBriar, 38, explained that he had been diagnosed with a craniopharyngioma tumour on his pituitary gland, after experiencing fatigue and headaches.
He posted: “Towards the end of 2023, I got some intense localised headaches matched with a weird fatigue that felt new. I got several blood tests in spring 2024 which came back indicating that something was wrong, so my GP arranged an MRI followed by a CT scan.”
The results of the scan showed a craniopharyngioma tumour, a large and quite rare type of tumour growing on his pituitary gland.
Mr McBriar said: “The good news is firstly, it’s almost certainly not cancerous and secondly, I’ve caught it in the earlier stages of damage. I’d been very lucky to get those initial blood tests followed by an MRI. Had it been much longer I might’ve lost some eyesight and a load of other problems due to the size and position of the tumour pressing on my optic nerves.”
Following successful surgery to remove the tumour on 9 August, Mr McBriar is recovering for six to eight weeks. In the meantime, his Bicep partner Andy Ferguson will continue to perform their breakbeat techno music solo at various venues, including the Creamfields Festival on 22-25 August.
The Belfast duo have had various hits and reached number two in the album charts with their record Isles in 2021. In the same year, they were nominated for two Brit Awards for best British group and breakthrough artist. They are a hugely successful and popular festival act, with an atmospheric sound and captivating visuals.
Pituitary gland tumours (sometimes called pituitary adenomas) are usually benign (non cancerous) tumours that grow in the pituitary gland. This is a small gland located at the base of the brain behind the nose, and it produces the hormones that control the levels of other hormones in the body. About one in every 17 tumours diagnosed is a pituitary gland tumour.
Pituitary tumours that make hormones are known as functioning (or secreting) tumours, and they are divided into subcategories depending on what type of hormone is being produced. These types of tumours can cause notable side effects because of the unbalance of hormones in the body.
Somatotroph adenomas make growth hormones, and they can cause abnormal growth spurts in young people, and in young adults they may cause overgrown hands, feet, and lower jaw.
Tumours that make adrenocorticotropic hormones (ACTH) stimulate the adrenal glands to produce cortisol. This can cause a range of symptoms including weight gain, a red rounded face, and high blood pressure. There are several other types of functioning pituitary gland tumours.
Non-functioning pituitary gland tumours (sometimes called non secreting) are tumours that don’t produce hormones. However, as in Mr McBriar’s case, they can press on the optic nerve, potentially causing vision disturbance or even sight loss. They can also cause fatigue and headaches.
The treatment will depend on the type of tumour, the symptoms it is causing, and the overall health and wishes of the patient. Slow growing tumours that are not causing symptoms may be monitored with regular MRI scans, and further action taken if the tumour shows signs of growth.
Surgery to remove the tumour, usually via a tube inserted through the nose, may be necessary to remove active tumours. Radiotherapy or stereotactic radiotherapy may also be used in addition or as an alternative to traditional surgery. This involves killing the tumour cells with highly targeted radiation beams from an external machine.
Functioning pituitary tumours may additionally be treated with drugs to reduce the hormone levels in the body. This is in order to treat the symptoms, rather than shrink the tumour.
If you are looking for further information on pituitary tumours and pituitary tumour treatment, please contact Ms Anouk Borg of Amethyst Radiotherapy.
Centres of Excellence for Stereotactic Radiosurgery treatment of complex Brain Tumours
Want to know more about Gamma Knife Treatment?
Our friendly staff are here to help you, get in touch with them today
