Surgical treatment of solitary adrenal metastasis from non-small cell lung cancer.
BACKGROUND
Management of solitary adrenal metastasis from non-small cell lung cancer is still debated. Although classically considered incurable, various reports with small numbers of patients have shown that surgical treatment might improve long-term survival. The aim of this study was to review our experience and to identify factors that could affect survival.


METHODS
From January 1989 through April 2003, 23 patients underwent complete resection of an isolated adrenal metastasis after surgical treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. There were 19 men and 4 women, with a mean age of 54 +/- 10 years. The diagnosis of adrenal metastasis was synchronous with the diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer in 6 patients and metachronous in 17 patients. The median disease-free interval for patients with metachronous metastasis was 12.5 months (range, 4.5-60.1 months).


RESULTS
The overall 5-year survival was 23.3%. Univariate and multivariate analysis demonstrated that a disease-free interval of greater than 6 months was an independent and significant predictor of increased survival in patients after adrenalectomy. All patients with a disease-free interval of less than 6 months died within 2 years of the operation. The 5-year survival was 38% after resection of an isolated adrenal metastasis that occurred more than 6 months after lung resection. Adjuvant therapy and pathologic staging of non-small cell lung cancer did not affect survival.


CONCLUSIONS
Surgical resection of metachronous isolated adrenal metastasis with a disease-free interval of greater than 6 months can provide long-term survival in patients previously undergoing complete resection of the primary non-small cell lung cancer.
Department of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery and Heart-Lung Transplantation, Marie Lannelongue Hospital, 133 Avenue de la Résistance, 92350 Le Plessis Robinson, France.
Olaf
O
Mercier
Elie
E
Fadel
Marc
M
de Perrot
Sacha
S
Mussot
Franco
F
Stella
Alain
A
Chapelier
Philippe
P
Dartevelle
D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D000315:Adrenalectomy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis