title: Adrenocortical carcinoma: is prognosis different in nonfunctioning tumors? results of surgical treatment in 31 patients.
abstract: From 1980 to 1998 a series of 265 patients with adrenal tumors underwent surgery, with an adrenocortical carcinoma found in 31 (11.7%). Altogether, 17 (54.8%) patients (group A) had Cushing syndrome (n = 15) or virilization (n = 2), and 14 (45.2%) patients (group B) had nonfunctioning adrenal tumors. Tumor staging was as follows: (groups A/B): stage I, n = 5 (3/2), stage II, n = 14 (9/5), stage III, n = 5 (1/4), stage IV, n = 7 (4/3) patients. There were 12 (38.7%) men and 19 (61.3%) women (median age 51 years, range 25-73 years), and the size of the mass ranged from 3.5 to 20.0 cm (median 8.0 cm), with no differences (p = NS) between groups A and B. Two (6.4%) patients (stage IV) did not undergo surgery and received only palliative drug treatment; 6 (19.4%) were treated with debulking surgery; 15 (48.4%) had unilateral adrenalectomy; and 8 (25.8%) had an extended adrenalectomy. Eighteen (58.0%) patients underwent adjuvant postoperative mitotane treatment, and in 8 (25.8%) patients one or more reoperations for recurrence were required. Nine (29.0%) patients are still alive with a mean follow-up of 34 months; 22 (71.0%) died 2 to 60 months (median 20 months) after surgery. The overall 2- and 5-year survival rates were 62.1% and 10.3%, with no difference (p = NS) between groups A and B. The survival rates at the 1- and 3-year follow-ups were 90.3% and 32.3% (stages I and II) and 71.0% and 6.5% (stages III and IV). In conclusion, adrenocortical carcinoma remains a highly malignant tumor, and stage III-IV patients still have a poor prognosis; but nonfunctioning tumors do not seem to be more aggressive.
authors.affiliation: Endocrine Surgery Unit, Department of Surgical and Gastroenterological Sciences, University of Padua, School of Medicine, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Favia
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lumachi
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: D'Amico
mesh_terms: D000306:Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D000315:Adrenalectomy; D018268:Adrenocortical Carcinoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D012086:Reoperation