The adrenal glands are located above the kidneys. The outer layer of each gland, called the adrenal cortex, secretes the hormones that regulate metabolism and characteristics such as hair growth and body shape. The inner region of each gland, called the adrenal medulla, secretes hormones that regulate responses to physical and emotional stresses.
Most tumors found in the adrenal glands are metastatic, tumors that have traveled from cancers originating in other parts of the body. Cancer that starts in the adrenal medulla is called pheochromocytoma. Cancer of the adrenal cortex, also called adrenocortical carcinoma, can cause high blood pressure, weakening of the bones, and diabetes. As a result of excessive secretion of the hormone cortisol by the gland, the adrenal gland can grow to twice its normal size. Symptoms include pain in the abdomen, weight loss without dieting, or a chronic feeling of weakness. Tumors that arise in the adrenal cortex can also be adenomas, benign tumors that cause many of the same symptoms.
New diagnostic tests, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and specialized computed tomography (CT) scanning, can differentiate between benign and malignant disease. Diagnostic tests also include blood and urine tests. Treatment may include surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy, alone or in combination, and depends on whether the cancer has spread beyond the adrenal cortex.
