Clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of patients with adrenocortical carcinoma

• Published in: Nippon Hinyokika Gakkai zasshi Vol. 105; no. 3; p. 79
• Main Authors: Miura, Noriyoshi, Ide, Takehiro, Uda, Takashi, Noda, Terutaka, Asai, Seiji, Nishimura, Kenichi, Shirato, Akitomi, Yanagihara, Yutaka, Miyauchi, Yuki, Kikugawa, Tadahiko, Tanji, Nozomu, Yokoyama, Masayoshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japan 01.07.2014
• Subjects: Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms - mortality; Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms - pathology; Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms - therapy; Adrenalectomy; Adult; Aged; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Metastasis; Prognosis
• ISSN: 0021-5287
• DOI: 10.5980/jpnjurol.105.79

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare condition associated with poor prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate the clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of 7 patients with ACC. The clinicopathologic characteristics, treatment, and survival of 7 patients with pathologically confirmed ACC treated at our institution between January 2002 and December 2012 were retrospectively examined. The study cohort comprised 4 male and 3 female patients (median age at diagnosis, 63 years [range, 36-71 years]). The median tumor size was 7.0 cm (range, 4.0-13.0 cm), and the median follow-up duration was 22 months (range, 9-107 months). One patient had stage I ACC, 4 had stage III, and 2 showed metastasis. The patient with stage I disease underwent laparoscopic adrenorectomy and those with stage III disease underwent adrenorectomy with the excision of adjacent organs. Four of these 5 patients are alive without recurrence at a median of 55 months (range, 22-107 months) after surgery. Of the 2 patients with metastases, 1 received combined chemotherapy with etoposide, adriamycin, and cisplatin plus mitotane without surgical resection but died 19 months later, and the other, with a solitary lung metastasis, underwent adrenorectomy and metastatectomy followed by adjuvant treatment with mitotane and is alive without recurrence at 9 months after treatment. The 3-year cause-specific survival rate was 56%. Patients with advanced-stage tumors showed long-term survival with complete tumor resection at diagnosis; hence, this seems to be most beneficial treatment option for patients with ACC.