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Removing the tumor surgically is the definitive treatment because a pheochromocytoma is a catecholamine-producing tumor of the adrenal medulla; once the tumor is removed, the excess hormones driving hypertension and other symptoms stop, effectively curing localized disease. After proper preoperative stabilization with alpha-adrenergic blockade to prevent intraoperative hypertensive crises, surgical excision—usually adrenalectomy—is performed. Radiation or chemotherapy are not curative options for localized disease; radiation is generally reserved for unresectable or metastatic cases, and chemotherapy is used mainly for malignant or widespread disease. Lifelong medical management without removing the tumor does not eradicate the source of catecholamines. In bilateral cases, a cortex-sparing approach may be considered to preserve adrenal function, but the essential step remains removing the tumor.