Minimally Invasive Versus Open Adrenalectomy in Patients with Adrenocortical Carcinoma: A Meta-analysis

Application of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols in adrenal surgery: A retrospective, preliminary analysis

BACKGROUND

The present study was conducted to evaluate the impact of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathway in patients undergoing laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) for primary and secondary adrenal disease, in reducing the length of primary hospital stay and return to daily activities.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study was carried out on 61 patients who underwent LA. A total of 32 patients formed the ERAS group. A total of 29 patients received conventional perioperative care and were assigned as the control group. Groups were compared in terms of patient's characteristics (sex, age, pre-operative diagnosis, side of tumour, tumour size and co-morbidities), post-operative compliance (anaesthesia time, operative time, post-operative stay, post-operative numeric rating scale (NRS) score, analgesic assumption and days to return to daily activities) and post-operative complications.

RESULTS

No significant differences in anaesthesia time ( P = 0.4) and operative time ( P = 0.6) were reported. NRS score 24 h postoperatively was significantly lower in the ERAS group ( P < 0.05). The analgesic assumption in post-operative period in the ERAS group was lower ( P < 0.05). ERAS protocol led to a significantly shorter length of post-operative stay ( P < 0.05) and to return to daily activities ( P < 0.05). No differences in peri-operative complications were reported.

DISCUSSION

ERAS protocols seem safe and feasible, potentially improving perioperative outcomes of patients undergoing LA, mainly improving pain control, hospital stay and return to daily activities. Further studies are needed to investigate overall compliance with ERAS protocols and their impact on clinical outcomes.

Adrenalectomy for Pheochromocytoma: Complications and Predictive Factors of Intraoperative Hemodynamic Instability

BACKGROUND

Surgery is the treatment of choice for pheochromocytoma. However, this surgery carries a risk of hemodynamic instability (HDI). The aim of this study was to report complications associated with this procedure, to identify risk factors for HDI during surgery, and its impact on postoperative outcomes.

METHODS

The charts of all patients who underwent adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma in two academic centers between 2006 and 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. The primary outcome was HDI defined by a systolic blood pressure >160 mmHg or a mean blood pressure <60 mmHg intraoperatively. The secondary outcomes of interest were the total duration of HDI, the occurrence of intraoperative arrhythmia, perioperative cardiovascular events, and postoperative complications.

RESULTS

205 patients were included. HDI occurred intraoperatively in 155 patients (75.6%) but only 6 (3.2%) experienced arrhythmia. Thirty-eight postoperative complications were reported (18.6%) but only nine were ≥3 according to Clavien-Dindo (4.4%). There were 10 postoperative cardiovascular events (5.7%). Patients with intraoperative HDI had higher rates of postoperative complications (21.3% vs 10%; P = .07), major postoperative complications (5.8% vs 0%; P = .12) and cardiovascular events (6.5% vs 0%; P = .12). Factors associated with intraoperative HDI in univariate analysis were age (OR = 8.14; P = .006), high blood pressure preoperatively (OR = 2.16; P = .04), tumor size (OR = 15.83; P = .0001), and urinary normetanephrine level (OR = 9.33; P = .04).

DISCUSSION

In multidisciplinary centers, the overall morbidity of adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma is low. HDI during adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma is highly prevalent but rarely associated with major cardiovascular events. There might be a link between HDI and postoperative cardiovascular events.

Minimally invasive versus open adrenalectomy for adrenocortical carcinoma: the keys surgical factors influencing the outcomes-a collective overview

PURPOSE

Adrenocortical carcinoma (A.C.C.) is a rare tumour, often discovered at an advanced stage and associated with a poor prognosis. Surgery is the treatment of choice. We aimed to review the different surgical approaches trying to compare their outcome.

METHODS

This comprehensive review has been carried out according to the PRISMA statement. The literature search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, the Cochrane Library and Google Scholar.

RESULTS

Among all studies identified, 18 were selected for the review. A total of 14,600 patients were included in the studies, of whom 4421 were treated by mini-invasive surgery (M.I.S.). Ten studies reported 531 conversions from M.I.S. to an open approach (OA) (12%). Differences were reported for operative times as well as for postoperative complications more often in favour of OA, whereas differences for hospitalization time in favour of M.I.S. Some studies showed an R0 resection rate from 77 to 89% for A.C.C. treated by OA and 67 to 85% for tumours treated by M.I.S. The overall recurrence rate ranged from 24 to 29% for A.C.C. treated by OA and from 26 to 36% for tumours treated by M.I.S.

CONCLUSIONS

OA should still be considered the standard surgical management of A.C.C. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy has shown shorter hospital stays and faster recovery compared to open surgery. However, the laparoscopic approach resulted in the worst recurrence rate, time to recurrence and cancer-specific mortality in stages I-III ACC. The robotic approach had similar complications rate and hospital stays, but there are still scarce results about oncologic follow-up.

Open Versus Laparoscopic Surgery in the Management of Adrenocortical Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Laparoscopic surgery is considered a standard treatment for benign adrenal tumors; however, no consensus has been reached on the optimal resection technique for adrenocortical carcinomas. This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic surgery and open surgery in the management of adrenocortical carcinoma.

METHODS

The Cochrane, Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched for articles from inception to May 2022, by two independent reviewers using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The review was registered prospectively on the PROSPERO database (CRD42022316050).

RESULTS

From 183 studies screened, 11 studies met the eligibility criteria, with a total of 1617 patients with adrenocortical carcinoma undergoing either laparoscopic surgery (n = 472) or open surgery (n = 1145). Open surgery demonstrated a lower rate of positive resection margin compared with laparoscopic surgery (odds ratio [OR] 1.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10-2.10; I² = 0%). Additionally, open surgery had more favorable overall survival (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.44-0.72; I² = 0%) and recurrence-free rates (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.42-0.85; I² = 38%) than laparoscopic surgery at 3 years. Hospital stay was shorter for laparoscopic surgery than open surgery (mean difference - 2.49 days, 95% CI - 2.95 to - 2.04; I² = 45%).

CONCLUSIONS

Open surgery should still be considered the standard operative approach; however, laparoscopic surgery could be regarded as an effective and safe operation for selected adrenocortical carcinoma cases with appropriate laparoscopic expertise. Further randomized controlled studies with tumor stage- and resection margin-dependent survival analysis are necessary to ascertain the safety and efficacy of the treatment.

Operative approach and case volume are associated with negative resection margins for adrenocortical carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Surgical resection with negative margins is the treatment of choice for adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC). This study was undertaken to determine factors associated with negative resection margins.

METHODS

National Cancer Database was queried from 2010 to 2016 to identify patients with AJCC/ENSAT Stage I-III ACC who underwent adrenalectomy. Patient, tumor, facility, and operative characteristics were compared by margin status (positive-PM or negative-NM) and operative approach (open-OA, laparoscopic-LA, or robotic-RA). Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with PM.

RESULTS

Eight hundred and eighty-one patients were identified, of which 18.4% had PM and 81.6% had NM. Patients with advanced pathologic T stage and pathologic N1 stage were more likely to have PM (vs. NM) (T3, 49.7% vs. 24.8%, p < 0.01; T4, 26.2% vs. 10.0%, p < 0.01; N1, 6.7% vs. 3.5%, p < 0.01). Patients undergoing OA (vs. LA and RA) were more likely to have advanced clinical T stage (T4, 16.6% vs. 5.7% vs. 7.8%, p < 0.01) and larger tumors (> 6 cm, 84.6% vs. 64.1% vs. 62.3%, p < 0.01). High-volume centers (≥ 5 cases) were more likely to utilize OA. Patients undergoing LA (vs. RA) were more likely to require conversion to open (20.3% vs. 7.8%, p = 0.011). On multivariable analysis, factors associated with higher odds of PM included T3 disease (OR 7.02, 95% CI 2.66-18.55), T4 disease (OR 10.22, 95% CI 3.66-28.53), and LA (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.28-3.09). High-volume centers were associated with lower odds of PM (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.45-0.98). There was no significant difference in margin status between OA and RA (OR 1.44, 95% CI 0.71-2.90).

CONCLUSION

Centers with higher ACC case volumes have lower odds of PM and utilize OA more often. LA is associated with higher odds of PM, whereas RA is not. These factors should be considered when planning the operative approach for ACC.

Association of Surgical Approach With Treatment Burden, Oncological Effectiveness, and Perioperative Morbidity in Adrenocortical Carcinoma

MICROABSTRACT

In the National Cancer Database (NCDB), patients treated with minimally invasive adrenalectomy (MIA) for adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) had similar oncological outcomes and cumulative treatment burden with less morbidity compared with open adrenalectomy (OA). Although OA remains the standard of care for adrenal lesions concerninge for malignancy, MIA in appropriately selected patients may offer equivalent oncological outcomes.

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND

We investigated the cumulative treatment burden, oncological effectiveness, and perioperative morbidity in patients undergoing MIA compared with (OA) for patients with ACC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We reviewed the NCDB for patients undergoing surgical resection (MIA vs. OA) for ACC from 2010 to 2017. Inverse probability of treatment weighted logistic regression, negative binomial, and Cox proportional hazards models were fit to assess for an association of surgical approach with cumulative treatment burden (any adjuvant therapy, radiation therapy [RT], and systemic therapy), oncological effectiveness (positive surgical margins [PSM], lymph node yield [LNY], and overall survival [OS]), and perioperative morbidity (length of stay [LOS] and readmission) as appropriate.

RESULTS

We identified 776 patients that underwent adrenalectomy for ACC, of which 307 underwent MIA. We noted patients with larger tumors (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.78-0.86, P < .001) were less likely to have MIA prior to IPTW. We did not appreciate a significant association of MIA with cumulative treatment burden or the use of any adjuvant therapy (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.60-1.21, P = .375), adjuvant RT (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.59-1.50, P = .801), or adjuvant systemic therapy (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.58-1.21, P = .352). Patients undergoing MIA had similar oncological effectiveness of surgery and OS when compared with patients which underwent OA. Patients that underwent MIA had a significantly shorter LOS (IRR: 0.74, 95% CI 0.62-0.88, P = .001) and lower odds of readmission (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.23-0.91, P = .026).

CONCLUSIONS

Although the standard of care for adrenal lesions suspicious for ACC remains OA, in appropriately selected patients, MIA may offer similar oncological effectiveness and cumulative treatment burden, with less morbidity, than OA.

ENDOCRINE TUMOURS: Our experience with the management of patients with non-metastatic adrenocortical carcinoma

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) accounts for a minority of all malignant tumors in adults. Surgery remains the most important therapeutic option for non-metastatic ACC. Whether a subset of patients with small ACC may benefit from minimally invasive surgery remains a debated issue, but we believe that surgeon's expertise is more important than surgical technique to determine outcome. However, even a state-of-the-art surgery cannot prevent disease recurrence that is determined mainly by specific tumor characteristics. We consider that the concomitant presence of the following features characterizes a cohort of patients at low risk of recurrence, (i) R0 resection (microscopically free margin), (ii) localized disease (stage I-II ACC), and (iii) low-grade tumor (ki-67 <10%). After the ADIUVO study, we do not recommend adjuvant mitotane as a routine measure for such patients, who can be managed with active surveillance thus sparing a toxic treatment. Patients at average risk of recurrence should be treated with adjuvant mitotane. For patients at very high risk of recurrence, defined as the presence of at least one of the following: Ki67 >30%, large venous tumor thrombus, R1 resection or stage IV ACC, we increasingly recommend to combine mitotane with four cycles of platinum-based chemotherapy. However, patients at moderate-to-high risk of recurrence should be ideally enrolled in the ongoing ADIUVO2 trial. We do not use adjuvant radiotherapy of the tumor bed frequently at our institutions, and we select patients with incomplete resection, either microscopically or macroscopically, for this treatment. In the long-term, prospective multicenter trials are required to improve patient care.

Minimally Invasive Surgery for Resectable Adrenocortical Carcinoma: A Nationwide Analysis

INTRODUCTION

The utilization of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) remains controversial due to concerns regarding the quality of surgical resection and subsequent oncologic risks. Current guidelines recommend open resections for all cases of suspected ACC independent of size; however, there has been increased adoption of MIS for ACC over time. We sought to determine whether the rise in the utilization of MIS is associated with worse survival outcomes for ACC.

METHODS

The National Cancer Database was queried for patients with ACC who underwent surgical resection between 2010 and 2017. Patient selection, oncologic outcomes, and overall survival were compared among patients who received an MIS approach (laparoscopic or robotic) versus an open approach.

RESULTS

A total of 1483 patients underwent ACC resection with 982 (66.2%) patients undergoing an open approach and 501 (33.8%) receiving an MIS operation. The overall utilization of MIS for ACC increased significantly after 2013 (37.7% versus 29.5%, P < 0.01). There was no difference in overall survival between MIS and open resections on univariable (log-rank P = 0.12) analysis. On multivariable analysis, survival was improved in MIS patients versus open resection (Hazard ratio: 0.83, 95% CI: [0.70-0.99]). Notably, survival remained comparable among patients who underwent resection for large ACCs (6-10 cm, log-rank P = 0.66) and giant ACCs (>10 cm, log-rank P = 0.24), irrespective of operative approach.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that in appropriately selected patients with ACC, MIS can be performed safely without a significant decrease in overall survival, independent of size. We recommend consideration of a minimally-invasive approach for adrenal masses despite size >6 cm.

Reoperation for Recurrent Adrenocortical Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Pooled Analysis of Population-Based Studies

Background

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare neoplasm with a high recurrence rate. This study aimed to assess the role of surgery in the clinical management of recurrent ACC.

Methods

The PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were searched, and the hazard ratios were pooled.

Results

Patients who underwent resection for recurrence had significantly better OS or OS after recurrence than those who received only nonsurgical treatments (HR 0.34, p < 0.001). Prognostic factors were associated with decreased OS after recurrence, including multiple recurrence (HR 3.23, p = 0.001), shorter disease-free interval (HR 2.94, p < 0.001), stage III-IV of the original tumor (HR 6.17, p = 0.001), sex of male (HR 1.35, p = 0.04), and initial non-R0 resection (HR 2.13, p = 0.001). Prolonged OS after recurrence was observed in those who experienced incomplete resection (HR 0.43, 95% CI 0.31–0.52, I² = 53%) compared with patients who only received nonsurgical treatments. In the reoperated group, patients who underwent complete resection of recurrence had a prolonged OS after recurrence compared with those who underwent incomplete resection (HR 0.23, p = 0.004).

Conclusions

We confirmed the role of reoperation in the clinical management of recurrent ACC. Select patients might benefit from debulking surgery. The preoperative evaluation of the complete resection of the recurrence is the key means to decide whether patients should undergo surgery. Other prognostic factors associated with prolonged OS include single recurrence site, relatively longer disease-free interval, stage I-II of the original tumor, and female sex.

Surgical Management of Adrenocortical Carcinoma: Current Highlights

INTRODUCTION

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare tumor, often discovered at an advanced stage and associated with poor prognosis. Treatment is guided by staging according to the European Network for the Study of Adrenal Tumors (ENSAT) classification. Surgery is the treatment of choice for ACC. The aim of this review is to provide a complete overview on surgical approaches and management of adrenocortical carcinoma.

METHODS

This comprehensive review has been carried out according to the PRISMA statement. The literature sources were the databases PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane Library. The search thread was: ((surgery) OR (adrenalectomy)) AND (adrenocortical carcinoma).

RESULTS

Among all studies identified, 17 were selected for the review. All of them were retrospective. A total of 2498 patients were included in the studies, of whom 734 were treated by mini-invasive approaches and 1764 patients were treated by open surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgery is the treatment of choice for ACC. Open adrenalectomy (OA) is defined as the gold standard. In recent years laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) has gained more popularity. No significant differences were reported for overall recurrence rate, time to recurrence, and cancer-specific mortality between LA and OA, in particular for Stage I-II. Robotic adrenalectomy (RA) has several advantages compared to LA, but there is still a lack of specific documentation on RA use in ACC.

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

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare tumor with variable prognosis depending mostly on the disease stage and tumor grade. The staging system proposed by the European Network for the Study of Adrenal Tumors has a reliable prognostic potential and defines ACC stages I-IV. Due to the absence of extraadrenal tissue invasion, patients with stage I-II have a lower recurrence rate and better prognosis. 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.

Clinical features and outcomes of adrenal schwannoma: a study of 13 cases from a single centre

BACKGROUND

Adrenal schwannomas (AS) are extremely rare neoplasms. This study shares our experience regarding the diagnosis and operative management of AS.

METHODS

Clinical details, radiologic, laboratory, and pathologic findings as well as follow-up data were analysed retrospectively for 13 AS patients who accepted surgery at a tertiary referral hospital in China between 1 January 1996, and 31 December 2017.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients at diagnosis was 44.7 ± 13.7 years (range 19-62 years; male: female ratio, 1:1.16), of whom seven patients had unilateral AS on the right side, and the remaining six on the left side. None of the cases were hormonally active. None of the 13 cases were diagnosed as AS by CT imaging before the operation. Among the patients, ten were asymptomatic. The mean preoperative size was 7.1 ± 3.2 cm (range 1.6-12.6 cm). All patients underwent surgery, with open adrenalectomy in five patients and laparoscopy in eight patients. The mean tumor size on pathologic examination was 6.8 ± 3.0 cm (range 3.0-11.7 cm). The surgical specimens were confirmed by pathological examination. During a median follow-up of 60.8 ± 17.7 months, no patients showed recurrence or metastasis.

CONCLUSION

The preoperative diagnosis of AS remains difficult despite the advances in imaging examinations. After complete resection, the prognosis of AS is excellent.

Cancer risk in adrenalectomy: are adrenal lesions equal or more than 4 cm a contraindication for laparoscopy?

Background

Some authors consider adrenal lesions size of less than 4 cm as a positive cut-off limit to set the indications for minimally invasive surgery due to a lower risk of malignancy. Aim of this study is to report the risk of cancer for adrenal lesions measuring 4 cm or more in diameter, assessed as benign at preoperative workup (primary outcome), and to evaluate the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) in these cases (secondary outcome).

Methods

From January 1994 to February 2019, 579 patients underwent adrenalectomy. Fifty patients with a preoperative diagnosis of primary adrenal cancer or metastases were excluded. The remaining 529 patients were included and divided in five subgroups based on adrenal lesion size at definitive histology: group A, 4–5.9 cm (137 patients); group B, 6–7.9 cm (64 patients); group C, 8–9.9 cm (13 patients); group D, ≥ 10 cm (11 patients); group E, < 4 cm (304 patients). Each group was further divided based on diagnosis of benign or malignant lesions at definitive histology.

Results

Four (2.9%) malignant lesions were observed in group A, 5 (7.8%) in group B, 2 (15.4%) in Groups C and D (18.2%) and 13 (4.3%) in Group E. Comparing the cancer risk among the groups, no statistically significant differences were observed. Operative time increased with increasing lesion size. However, no statistically significant differences were observed between benign and malignant lesions in each group comparing operative time, conversion and complication rates, postoperative hospital stay and mortality rate.

Conclusions

Adrenal lesions measuring 4 cm or more in diameter are not a contraindication for LA neither in terms of cancer risk nor of conversion and morbidity rates, even if the operative time increases with increasing adrenal lesion diameter. Further prospective studies with a larger number of patients are required to draw definitive conclusions.

Robot-assisted adrenalectomy: state of the art

Currently, laparoscopic adrenalectomy is worldwide considered the gold standard technique. Both transperitoneal and retroperitoneal approaches have proved their efficacy with excellent outcomes. Since the introduction of da Vinci System (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA), robotic surgery has made many steps forward gaining progressively more diffusion in the field of general and endocrine surgery. The robotic technique offers advantages to overcome some laparoscopic shortcomings (rigid instruments, loss of 3D vision, unstable camera). Indeed, the robotic system is provided of stereoscopic 3D-magnified vision, additional degree of freedom, tremor-filtering technology and a stable camera. Recently, several case series have demonstrated the feasibility and the safety of robot-assisted adrenalectomy in high-volume centers with outcomes comparable to laparoscopic adrenalectomy. Notwithstanding, the technical advantages of the robotic system have not yet demonstrated significant improvements in terms of outcomes to undermine laparoscopic adrenalectomy. Moreover, robotic adrenalectomy harbor inherits drawbacks, such as longer operative time and elevated costs, that limit its use. In particular, the high cost associated with the use of the robotic system is primarily related to the purchase and the maintenance of the unit, the high instruments cost and the longer operative time. Notably, these aspects make robotic adrenalectomy up to 2.3 times more costly than laparoscopic adrenalectomy. This literature review summarizes the current available studies and provides an overview about the robotic scenario including applicability, technical details and surgical outcomes.