Adrenal metastases - long-term results of surgical treatment, single-centre experience

• Published in: Contemporary oncology (Poznan, Poland) Vol. 24; no. 1; pp. 29 - 33
• Main Authors: Samsel, Radosław, Cichocki, Andrzej, Roszkowska-Purska, Katarzyna, Papierska, Lucyna, Koalasińska-Ćwikła, Agnieszka, Karpeta, Edyta, Ostrowski, Tomasz, Nowak, Karolina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Poland Termedia Publishing House 01.01.2020
• Subjects: Adrenal glands; adrenal mass; adrenal metastases; adrenalectomy; Colorectal cancer; Kidney cancer; median overall survival; Metastasis; Original Paper; Surgery; adrenalectomy; adrenal mass; median overall survival; adrenal metastases
• ISSN: 1428-2526; 1897-4309
• DOI: 10.5114/wo.2020.93679

The adrenal gland is a frequent site of metastases in different types of cancer. The aim of this study was to assess the results of metastatic adrenalectomy in a single institution and to identify factors for survival. A retrospective, single-centre analysis of outcomes of 39 patients (22 male, 17 female) with adrenal metastases who underwent surgery within 14 years (2004-2017) was performed. The median age at the time of adrenal surgery was 64.8 years (range 49-79 years). In our study group non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was the most frequent primary tumour type (15 pts), followed by renal cell carcinoma (RCC) (14 pts) and colon cancer (6 pts). Most of the metastases - 36 (92%) - were metachronous (> 6 months). All synchronous metastases were NSCLC. The mean time from primary cancer to adrenalectomy was 42.3 months (range 1-176) and was statistically longer for RCC. In 3 patients (8%) metastases were bilateral and both adrenal glands were removed. In all patients, surgery was limited to the adrenal gland, and no major complications of surgery were observed. The median overall survival after metastasectomy was 18 months (3-81) and was statistically longer for colon cancer - 29.5 months ( = 0.012). In patients who died, tumours were significantly bigger than in survivors, 76.5 mm vs. 52.5 mm ( = 0.026). Surgery for adrenal metastasis is safe and indications for this procedure should be individualized. In selected patients, surgical removal of adrenal metastasis was associated with longer survival.