Adrenocortical Carcinoma

Cancer of the adrenal cortex, a rare cancer, is a disease in which malignant cells are found in the adrenal cortex, which is the outside layer of the adrenal gland. Cancer of the adrenal cortex is also called adrenocortical carcinoma. There are two adrenal glands, one above each kidney in the back of the upper abdomen. The adrenal glands are also called the suprarenal glands. The inside layer of the adrenal gland is called the adrenal medulla. Cancer that starts in the adrenal medulla is called pheochromocytoma.

The four Parathyroid Glands

The four parathyroid glands

The parathyroid are a set of four small glands located at the base of the neck, close to the thyroid gland, either in its substance, or along its posterior surface, or very close to it.

The parathyroid are involved in maintaining calcium metabolism, and they do this with the help of a hormone they produce called parathyroid hormone (PTH).

The cells in the adrenal cortex make important hormones that help the body work properly. When cells in the adrenal cortex become cancerous, they may make too much of one or more hormones, which can cause symptoms such as high blood pressure, weakening of the bones, or diabetes. If male or female hormones are affected, the body may go through changes such as a deepening of the voice, growing hair on the face, swelling of the sex organs, or swelling of the breasts. Cancers that make hormones are called functioning tumours. Many cancers of the adrenal cortex do not make extra hormones and are called non-functioning tumours.

A doctor should be seen if the following symptoms appear and won’t go away:

  • pain in the abdomen,
  • loss of weight without dieting
  • weakness.

If there is a functioning tumour, there may be symptoms or signs caused by too many hormones.

 

If there are symptoms, a doctor will order blood and urine tests to see whether the amounts of hormones in the body are normal. A doctor may also order a computed tomography scan of your abdomen, a special x-ray that uses a computer to make a picture of the inside of the abdomen. Other special x-rays may also be done to tell what kind of tumour is present.

The chance of recovery (prognosis) depends on how far the cancer has spread (stage) and on whether a doctor was able to surgically remove all of the cancer.

How cancer of the adrenal cortex is treated

There are treatments for all patients with cancer of the adrenal cortex. Three kinds of treatment are used:

  • Surgery (taking out the cancer).

  • Chemotherapy (using drugs to kill cancer cells).

  • Radiation therapy (using high-dose x-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells).

A doctor may take out the adrenal gland in an operation called an adrenalectomy. Tissues around the adrenal glands that contain cancer may be removed. Lymph nodes in the area may also be removed (lymph node dissection).

Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be taken by pill, or it may be put into the body by a needle in a vein or muscle. Chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the drug enters the bloodstream, travels through the body, and kills cancer cells throughout the body.

Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumours. Radiation for cancer of the adrenal cortex usually comes from a machine outside the body (external radiation therapy).

Besides treatment for cancer (chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and/or surgery), a patient may also receive therapy to prevent or treat symptoms caused by the extra hormones that are made by the cancer.

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