Approach to patients with European Network for the Study of Adrenal Tumor stages I and II adrenocortical carcinomas

This article elaborates on the current understanding of the clinical approach to this group of patients. Recent findings Concerning the treatment, complete surgical resection of the tumor provides the only chance for cure. However, even after tumor removal, the risk of recurrence remains high and the main predictors of recurrence include tumor stage, grade (measured by Ki-67 proliferative index), and the tumor resection status. Adjuvant mitotane and/or adjuvant radiotherapy should be considered in patients with high risk of recurrence taking into account potential harmful effects of such treatment. Accordingly, careful selection of patients who may benefit from adjuvant treatment is of the utmost importance both for improving disease outcome and for avoiding potential overtreatment in patients who are at low risk of disease recurrence. Summary Many aspects of the management of patients with ACC stages I and II are not entirely evidence-based, and treatment decisions rely mostly on expert opinions and data from retrospective studies. Therefore, the treatment of these patients should be restricted to specialized centers with high expertise in ACC.
Source: Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Obesity - Category: Endocrinology Tags: ADRENAL CORTEX AND MEDULLA: Edited by Irina Bancos and Diane Donegan Source Type: research