Does laparoscopic adrenalectomy jeopardize oncologic outcomes for patients with adrenocortical carcinoma?

For patients with known or suspected adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), considerable controversy exists over the use of laparoscopic adrenalectomy. The purpose of this study was to assess recurrence and survival patterns in patients with a pathologic diagnosis of ACC treated with laparoscopic versus open adrenalectomy.

All patients referred to our center with a diagnosis of ACC from April 1, 1993 to May 1, 2012 were reviewed. Three groups of patients were compared: patients referred after laparoscopic resection elsewhere, patients referred after open resection elsewhere, and patients treated primarily at our center (all resected by the open approach). Clinical factors and overall, recurrence-free, and peritoneal recurrence-free survivals were compared between groups.

During the study period, 46 patients presented after laparoscopic resection at an outside institution, 210 patients after open resection at an outside institution, and 46 patients were treated at our institution with open resection. Despite a smaller tumor size, patients treated laparoscopically developed peritoneal carcinomatosis more frequently compared to those treated with an open approach (p = 0.006 for number with peritoneal recurrence). When controlling for tumor stage, open-approach patients experienced superior recurrence-free and overall survival.

Despite typically being performed in patients with smaller tumors, laparoscopic adrenalectomy for ACC is associated with higher rates of recurrence, particularly peritoneal recurrence. For patients with known or suspected ACC, the oncologic benefits of open resection outweigh the short-term benefits of minimally invasive surgery.