Adrenalectomy may increase survival of patients with adrenal metastases

The much improved diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) has enabled urologists and medical oncologists to identify and treat more patients with metastases to the adrenal glands. The aim of this retrospective study was to analyze the clinical aspects of adrenal metastases in a series of patients and to evaluate the effect of adrenalectomy, by laparoscopic or open resection of adrenal metastases, on the survival of these patients. A total of 47 patients (32 males, 15 females) with metastatic disease in the adrenal glands were included in this study. Type B ultrasound and CT were utilized to diagnose the adrenal metastases. Open resection was performed in certain patients with primary tumor and adrenal metastasis. The results showed that adrenal metastases in these patients had various origins, including lung carcinoma, kidney carcinoma, breast cancer, melanoma and other uncharacterized carcinomas. The median survival of the 37 followed-up patients was 29.7+/-3.23 months (range, 2-62) after the diagnosis/surgical removal of adrenal metastases. The survival rate of the 31 patients with surgically removed adrenal metastases (average, 34.2+/-4.7 months; range 2-62) was higher than the survival rates of the 6 patients without surgical resection (average, 6.3+/-2.7 months; range, 4-8). The results of this study are in support of adrenalectomy for patients with adrenal metastases.