Adrenocortical carcinoma

Abstract

Adrenal tumors are common, with an estimated incidence of 7.3% from autopsy series [1]. A recent study found an overall 4.4% prevalence of incidental adrenal lesions by computed tomography (CT) [2]. The majority are benign adrenocortical adenomas. Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), however, is rare with an estimated prevalence of only 4-12/million population [3]. Histopathology does not always accurately predict malignancy in adrenal tumors. The prognosis for ACCs is poor with an overall 5-year survival of <40% [4,5]. Complete en-bloc, margin-negative (R0) resection is the best treatment. Adjuvant treatment options for ACCs are fairly limited. The dismal survival rates for ACC have remained unchanged over the last 20 years. Advancement in the understanding of the pathophysiology of ACC is therefore essential for the development of more sensitive means of diagnosis and more effective treatment, resulting in better clinical outcome. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.