Long-term outcome of adrenalectomy for metastasis resulting from colorectal cancer with other metastatic sites: A report of 3 cases.
Metastasis to the adrenal glands is a relatively frequent observation at autopsy of patients that have succumbed to cancer. Long-term disease-free survival has been reported in patients following the resection of solitary adrenal metastasis resulting from colorectal cancer. In addition, following primary resection for colorectal cancer, solitary metastasis to the adrenal glands is rare, even in outpatients at routine follow-ups. Therefore, adrenal metastasis is usually detected in combination with multiple synchronous metastases at other sites in the terminal stages of cancer. Between 1998 and 2002, 3 patients with adrenal metastasis and other synchronous metastatic sites underwent surgery for adrenal metastasis at the Department of Gastroenterological Surgery at Osaka University. The other synchronous metastatic sites observed in the 3 patients consisted of lung and para-aortic lymph nodes. In total, 2 out of the 3 patients experienced long-term disease-free survival for >5 years following surgery and 1 patient underwent curative resection for recurrence of metastases in the liver and right adrenal gland 79 months subsequent to the initial resection for adrenal metastasis. All 3 patients survived for >90 months. In conclusion, aggressive surgical resection for adrenal metastasis and other metastatic sites resulting from colorectal cancer may result in a survival benefit in selected patients.
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; Department of Surgery, Osaka National Hospital, Osaka, Osaka 540-0006, Japan.
Mamoru
M
Uemura
Department of Surgery, Rinku General Medical Center, Izumisano, Osaka 598-8577, Japan.
Ho Min
HM
Kim
Department of Surgery, Osaka National Hospital, Osaka, Osaka 540-0006, Japan.
Masataka
M
Ikeda
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
Junichi
J
Nishimura
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
Taishi
T
Hata
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
Ichiro
I
Takemasa
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
Tsunekazu
T
Mizushima
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
Hirofumi
H
Yamamoto
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
Yuichiro
Y
Doki
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
Masaki
M
Mori
adrenal metastasis; colorectal cancer; long-term survival