[Carcinoma of the adrenal cortex]

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Oncology

Background:

• Primary adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare and aggressive endocrine malignancy.
• Long-term data collection over 25 years provides a valuable case series.

Observation:

• Nine cases of primary adrenocortical carcinoma were analyzed.
• Tumor weights ranged significantly, with a median of 487g.
• Patient outcomes and treatment responses were documented.

Findings:

• Urinary tetra-hydro-ll-deoxycortisol (THS) excretion proved to be the most dependable tumor marker, with elevated levels in all tested cases.
• Surgical intervention combined with o,p -DDD medication showed therapeutic benefit for some patients.
• Prognosis is challenging to predict, with a median survival of 34 months, but a wide range from 3 to 266 months.

Implications:

• THS is a key biomarker for diagnosing and monitoring adrenocortical carcinoma.
• o,p -DDD offers a potential adjunctive therapy.
• Further research is needed to improve prognostic accuracy and treatment strategies for this rare cancer.