When the tumor is found at the early stage and can be removed surgically, the five-year survival rate is 50-60 percent. The prognosis for adrenal cancers that have spread to nearby or distant organs is much less favorable, with only 10-20 percent surviving five years.
Even benign adrenal tumors can be dangerous or cause uncomfortable symptoms. Adrenal tumors can be malignant (cancer) or benign (not cancerous). Even benign adrenal tumors can be dangerous or cause uncomfortable symptoms.
If an adrenal gland tumor is diagnosed and treated before it has spread outside the adrenal gland, the 5-year relative survival rate is 74%.
Many people don't realize they have an adrenal adenoma until their healthcare provider discovers an adrenal gland tumor during an imaging procedure for an unrelated medical condition. These tumors are sometimes called “incidentalomas” because they're found incidentally, or by chance.
When adrenal cancer is found early, there is a chance for cure. But if the cancer has spread to areas beyond the adrenal glands, cure becomes less likely. Treatment can be used to delay progression or recurrence. Most growths that form in the adrenal glands are noncancerous (benign).
NYU Langone doctors often perform surgery to remove adrenal tumors that are causing symptoms, also called functional tumors. Removing these tumors helps you avoid long-term health problems, such as high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, weight gain, diabetes, and kidney problems.
Partial (Cortical-Sparing) Adrenalectomy
Certain types of adrenal tumors can be removed safely without removing the entire adrenal gland. This approach may be recommended for patients with tumors on both adrenal glands, like pheochromocytomas.
Approximately 5% of patients undergoing cross-sectional imaging have an adrenal mass, and of these, 5% are malignant [4].
When the tumor is found at the early stage and can be removed surgically, the five-year survival rate is 50-60 percent. The prognosis for adrenal cancers that have spread to nearby or distant organs is much less favorable, with only 10-20 percent surviving five years.
Your treatment may include a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Palliative care will also be important to help relieve symptoms and side effects. For many people, a diagnosis of metastatic cancer is very stressful and difficult.
Adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare condition in which malignant, or cancerous, cells form in the outer section of the adrenal gland called the cortex. This type of cancer tends to be aggressive, meaning it grows rapidly, and may spread to other parts of the body.
Surgeons often perform a procedure called an adrenalectomy to remove a benign adrenal tumor. They can often use a minimally invasive (laparoscopic) surgery for tumors in the adrenal gland. This procedure uses small cuts (incisions) instead of the large cut that's used in open surgery.
The most common symptom reported by patients with adrenocortical cancer is pain in the back or side (called the flank). Unfortunately, this type of pain is common and does not directly suggest a disease of the adrenal cortex.
In addition to a physical examination, the following tests may be used to diagnose an adrenal gland tumor: Blood and urine tests. Blood and urine tests help measure the amount of adrenal hormones, which can tell the doctor if the tumor is functional or nonfunctional.
As an adrenal cancer grows, it presses on nearby organs and tissues. This may cause pain near the tumor, a feeling of fullness in the abdomen, or trouble eating because of a feeling of filling up easily.
The average age of patients with adrenal cancer is around 46, but adrenal cancer can occur in people of any age, even in children.
Chronic stress can activate the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal axis and the sympathetic nervous system, cause the release of endocrine hormones and promote the occurrence and development of tumors.
Adrenal tumors are usually removed with a minimally invasive surgery called a laparoscopic adrenalectomy. When you remove an adrenal tumor, you remove the associated adrenal gland with it. Your body can easily adapt to having only one adrenal gland secreting the hormones necessary for your daily living.
The size of the mass is the most important predictor of the risk of malignancy. All adrenal lesions more than 4 cm in size should be removed. [32,33] There is much controversy in surgical removal of smaller lesions (<4 cm). However, many institutions recommend surgery for masses 3-4 cm in size.
Open surgery to remove an adrenal gland involves making a large cut on the side with unavoidable problems such as more intense pain which makes moving around more difficult, a hospital stay of 7 to 10 days, and a prolonged time off work.
Humans cannot live without adrenal glands, so if both adrenal glands are removed (very rarely necessary), then the patient needs to take medications and supplements to provide the necessary hormones.
Adrenalectomy has the same risks as other major surgeries — bleeding, infection and a bad reaction to the anesthesia. Other possible risks include: Injury to organs close to the adrenal gland. Blood clots.
As a general rule of thumb, adrenal tumors greater than 4 cm should be considered for removal (3 cm for younger people). The skilled interpretation of your blood work and X-ray studies is where an experienced adrenal gland surgeon is extremely important in guiding whether adrenal gland removal is necessary.
You'll need to refrain from heavy lifting, motions that put strain on your abdomen and vigorous activities for up to a month after your laparoscopic adrenalectomy to avoid a hernia, and recovery can take about six weeks after an open adrenal surgery.