Adrenocortical Carcinoma

Adrenocortical carcinoma was a rare but the most common type of cancerous adrenal gland tumor, with a poor prognosis, affecting approximately 4 to 12 per 1 million people. It could occur at any age, with a slightly higher incidence in women. The cause was often unknown, though certain hereditary conditions increased risk. Tumors could be functional, producing hormones and causing various symptoms, or nonfunctional, causing symptoms due to size. Diagnosis involved physical exams, blood and urine tests, and imaging. Treatment depended on cancer stage, primarily involving surgery, with chemotherapy and targeted therapy as options. Radiation therapy was less common due to the difficulty in killing cancer cells with x-rays. Adrenal incidentalomas, often nonfunctional adenomas, could also represent conditions needing treatment, including adrenocortical carcinoma.