Adrenal cancer
Adrenal cancer Causes
The cause of adrenal cancer is still unknown and in most cases do not display identifiable risk factors. Heredity is said to play an important role in the development of adrenal cancer. Genetic mutations increase the risks of several types of cancer and this includes adrenal cancer.
Adrenal cancer Definition
Adrenal cancer is a very rare disease that begins in the patient's adrenal glands, which is located on the top section of the kidneys. The tumors can rapidly increase the production of hormones. The good news is about 99% of adrenal tumors are non-cancerous and would not normally require any form of treatment when small in size. It does not produce any detectable symptoms which is why patients diagnosed with this disorder find out about this condition purely by accident in other examination for completely unrelated diseases.
Adrenal cancer Diagnosis
PET scans or positron emission tomography as well as other high-resolution imaging effectively enables physicians to properly diagnose the presence of malignant adrenal tumors.
Adrenal cancer Symptoms and Signs
In most cases, adrenal cancer does not produce discernable symptoms. However, the common indicators include fever, weight loss, persistent abdominal pain, palpable abdominal mass, and the frequent sensation of fullness.
Adrenal cancer Treatment
Treatment for adrenal cancer includes surgical procedures such as laparoscopic adrenalectomy. In cases where cancer has grown large to perform laparoscopic surgery, other conventional surgical procedures can be done.