Adrenal Cancer

Cancers of the adrenal glands often cause more pronounced symptoms as they affect hormone production. Symptoms usually occur due to conditions such as hyperaldosteronism, hyperandrogenism, which develops due to the increase in hormone production due to the tumor. However, in the absence of significant disorders in the levels of secreted hormones, the disease may give some symptoms. Common symptoms seen in adrenal gland cancers are as follows:

• High blood pressure
• Weight gain
• Muscle weakness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Cracks in the skin
• Problems such as hair growth (hirsutism), hair loss and menstrual irregularity in women
• Problems such as shrinkage of testicles and enlargement of breast tissues in men
• Reduction in bone density and increase risk of fracture
• Imbalances in blood sugar and diabetes

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF KIDNEY AND ADRENAL GLAND CANCERS?

The factors that play a role in the development of kidney and adrenal cancer have not yet been fully determined. But there are some risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing these cancers. The most important of these are genetic factors. Obesity, smoking habit, frequent use of painkillers, exposure to heavy metals such as cadmium and lead can also be stated. Cancer cases occur as a result of changes (mutations) in the DNA of cells in the kidneys and adrenal glands. The cells that make up the tumor can break down and spread (metastasize) to other tissues and organs of the body. Being a chronic kidney failure patient is an important risk factor in kidney cancers. Renal parenchymal cancers constitute approximately 3% of cancer cases in adults and are much more common in men than in women. On the contrary, adrenal gland cancer is a more common health problem in women than in men.

SURGERY FOR ADRENAL CANCER

The main treatment for adrenal cancer is removal of the adrenal gland by surgery. The surgeon will remove cancerous tissue and nearby lymph nodes. One way to remove the adrenal gland is through an incision through the abdomen. Sometimes, the cancer can grow into the inferior vena cava, the large vein that carries blood from the lower body to the heart. If this is the case, it requires a very extensive operation to remove the tumor completely.

It is also possible to remove some small adrenal tumors through a thin hollow with lighted tube (with a tiny video camera on the end) called a laparoscope or with robotic surgery. The main advantage of this method is that because the incisions are smaller, patients recover from surgery more quickly. In robotic surgery, which is another minimally invasive surgical method, surgery is performed with the help of robot with small incisions, and it is possible for the patient to be discharged in the early period and recover faster.