The significance of adrenal metastases from lung carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of our study was to correlate spread of the lung cancer into the adrenal glands with the progression of the primary disease.


METHODS
We diagnosed and confirmed adrenal metastases in 50 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We correlated the site of the primary lung carcinoma with the site of the adrenal metastasis, and the adrenal metastasis pattern, ipsi-, contra-, and bilateral adrenal metastases, with the operability and number of other sites of metastatic disease.


RESULTS
Adrenal metastases were ipsilateral in 20 patients, contralateral in 15 patients and bilateral in 15 patients. An inverse incidence of contra- and bilateral metastasis was observed in 37% of operated patients, and in 71% of patients with inoperable carcinoma. The difference between both groups was statistically significant (P=0.034).


CONCLUSIONS
We suggest that an isolated ipsilateral adrenal metastasis in a patient with resectable primary NSCLC could be considered (and treated) as a localized disease rather than a symptom of systemic spread.
Kocijancic
I
I
Department of Radiology, Institute of Oncology, Zaloska 2, SI-1105 Ljubljana, Slovenia. ikocijancic@onko-i.si
Vidmar
K
K
Zwitter
M
M
Snoj
M
M
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary*; D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D016019:Survival Analysis