The primary treatment for adrenal cancer is an operation to remove the adrenal gland that contains the tumor. This operation is called an adrenalectomy and may also include removing other nearby lymph nodes, tissues or structures, that may also contain cancer cells.
Robotic adrenalectomy
At Roswell Park, most adrenalectomies are performed using a minimally invasive approach, and usually with assistance of robotic tools. This means that instead of a large, open incision on your back, your urologist makes several tiny keyhole incisions, and use a laparoscope (thin tube with a camera and light and tiny surgical tools) to remove the adrenal gland.
Most often, the surgery will aim to remove the entire adrenal gland, especially in cases where the tumor is cancerous. A partial adrenalectomy may be performed in situations where benign tumors are in both adrenal glands and overproduce hormones. In these cases, preservation of some adrenal gland is important.
Surgical expertise is essential
The surgery itself carries a risk of spreading the cancer in the abdomen, since this cancer seeds very easily. For this reason, your surgery should be performed by a surgeon with experience to avoid this potential complication. Most urologists treat a number of urologic conditions, but at Roswell Park, our urologists focus on cancer every day.