Clinicopathological Features Associated With the Prognosis of Patients With Adrenal Cortical Carcinoma: Usefulness of the Ki-67 Index

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare tumor with a poor prognosis. Identification of clinicopathological features and molecular prognostic markers is important for the treatment of ACC. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and histopathological features of ACC for prognostic prediction.This retrospective cohort study included 86 patients pathologically confirmed with ACC in a single center. Ki-67 index was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining of paraffin-embedded samples.The median age of the 86 (46 male and 40 female) patients with ACC was 49 years old (range 21-78), and the mean primary tumor size was 12.2 ± 5.2 cm. ACCs were incidentally found in 29 patients (34%). Three patients (3%) had bilateral ACC, and 59 patients (69%) had distant metastasis (37 synchronous and 22 metachronous). Twenty-four patients (28%) had symptoms from hormone excess or mass effects, and 25 patients (29%) had nonspecific symptoms. The 5-year survival rate for ACC was 28%. Sixty patients underwent surgical treatment, including 37 patients with an R0 resection. Tumor size, Ki-67 index, stage, and resection status were independently associated with overall survival by multivariate analysis. In patients with R0 resection, recurrence was significantly associated with larger tumor size and functional tumor.Tumor size, Ki-67 index, stage, and resection status are important prognostic indicators of survival in ACC patients.

Survival and prognostic factors for adrenocortical carcinoma: a single institution experience

Background

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is aggressive, but rare tumours that have not been sufficiently studied. The aim of our study was to present the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with ACC, to determine the overall survival rates, analyse the effect of prognostic factors on survival, as well as to identify favorable and unfavourable predictors of survival.

Method

The study included 72 patients (42 women and 30 men) with ACC. We analysed the prognostic value of the demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients, tumour characteristics, therapy administered and survival rates. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and the log-rank test were used to estimate the overall and specific survival probabilities and the Cox regression model was used to identify independent prognostic factors for survival.

Results

The patients had mean age of 50 years. The 1-, 5-, and 10-year probabilities of survival in patients with ACC were 52.5 %, 41.1 %, and 16.4 %, respectively. The median survival time was 36 months. The results of multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the presence of lymphatic metastases (HR = 7.37, 95 % CI = 2.31-23.48, p = 0.001) and therapy with mitotane (HR = 0.11, 95 % CI = 0.04-0.27, p = 0.001) were independent prognostic factors for survival.

Conclusion

The presence of lymphatic metastasis is an unfavourable prognostic factor, while postoperative therapy with mitotane is a favorable prognostic factor for survival in patients with ACC.

Open surgical treatment of right-sided adrenal carcinomas >15 cm

INTRODUCTION

Adrenal carcinomas are rare and are associated with a very poor prognosis. The incidence is estimated to be 1 in 1.7 million which represents 0.02% of all cancers and 0.2% of all cancer mortality. The 5-year survival rate is 38%. The purpose of this paper is to present a single-institution experience in excising right-sided giant adrenal carcinomas, discussing the difficulties and the usage of special surgical devices to facilitate the procedure.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

During June 2001 to June 2003, 18 patients with right-sided adrenal tumors were treated at the State University of Campinas Hospital--UNICAMP. 4 out of the 18 patients presented lesions >15 cm, representing the study group. The mean age was 37 (range 26-65) years, 3 patients were younger than 35 years, and 2 patients were men. A right-sided extended subcostal incision was the surgical access in 1 patient (case 1) and a right-sided thoracoabdominal incision in the other 3 patients.

RESULTS

Adrenal cortical carcinoma was the histological diagnosis according to the Weiss criteria; no positive surgical margin was detected, even in those patients with invasion of the hepatic capsule. The median follow-up period was 15 (range 6-30) months.

CONCLUSIONS

A subcostal extended incision can accomplish broad exposure, if articulated costal retractors are available (used in liver transplantation), otherwise a thoracoabdominal incision is the best option. The most important feature of surgery is to accomplish an efficient hemostasis of the liver parenchyma. Suture and stitches are not suitable for minor vascular structures, and electrocauterization sometimes promotes hepatic lesions and does not provide bleeding control. Thus, the need for special hemostatic means is real, and they should be available in these situations.