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Adrenal Tumor Treatment
Our Treatment Approach
MD Anderson's accomplished surgeons perform a large number of surgeries for adrenal gland tumors each year, using the least invasive and most effective techniques. They are highly skilled in minimally invasive laparoscopic procedures, which may result in shorter hospital stays, less blood loss and shorter recovery times than with standard surgery techniques.
We are at the forefront of discovering new advancements in treatment of adrenal gland tumors. This means we are able to offer clinical trials for some adrenal gland tumors, which may not be available at other centers.
Adrenal Gland Tumor Treatments
If you are diagnosed with an adrenal gland tumor, your doctor will discuss the best options to treat it. This depends on several factors, including the type of the disease and your general health. Your treatment for an adrenal gland tumor will be customized to your particular needs.
One or more of the following therapies may be recommended to treat the disease or help relieve symptoms.
Surgery to remove one or both adrenal glands.
Systemic therapies, including chemotherapy, molecular targeted therapies and nuclear medicine agents.
Medicines to balance levels of hormones or replace deficient hormones.
Learn more about adrenal tumors:
Learn more about clinical trials for adrenal tumors.
4 things to know about cortisol and stress
Stress and cortisol have been linked ever since early stress research identified cortisol as the main mediator of stress ¨C that is, the main hormone the body releases when stressed. So, as the so-called ¡°stress hormone,¡± managing cortisol levels may seem like the key to managing stress. Unfortunately, it isn¡¯t that simple.
As a , I¡¯ve long been interested in how the body responds to stress. And, while cortisol does play a role in stress, our understanding of stress has broadened to extend far beyond cortisol. Still, many people have questions about how cortisol impacts the body.
To answer some of those questions, I will briefly explain the relationship between stress and cortisol and share some practical ways to cope with the stressors in our lives.
Cortisol helps the body respond to stress?
Cortisol is the main hormone involved in glucose energy metabolism, the process that helps the body produce and use its main energy source: glucose.
When we get stressed, the body activates two systems. First, the autonomic nervous system immediately activates the sympathetic nervous system, or its ¡®fight-or-flight' response. Next, part of the endocrine system called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis releases a variety of hormones, including cortisol, to fuel the body as it continues its stress response. Cortisol helps our organs shut down the body's immediate stress response. It also helps to restore the body¡¯s normal energy metabolism ¡ª which is mainly based on glucose ¡ª after the stress response.
The idea is that we cope with short-term stress mainly with the help of the autonomic nervous system. If we can¡¯t cope with our stress, or are facing a stressful situation long-term, our bodies use the HAP axis and cortisol to help us cope.?
Cortisol levels change throughout the day?
Cortisol isn¡¯t only present in the body when we are stressed, however. Cortisol is always present in your body.?
Cortisol provides our bodies with the energy we need to complete our daily tasks. Our cortisol levels naturally peak 30 minutes after we wake up and slowly decrease throughout the day. They reach their lowest levels overnight, which allows the body to relax and restore its energy.
Cortisol can cause symptoms ¡ª but it¡¯s usually beneficial
Our bodies are made to work in many situations, including stressful ones. But our bodies aren¡¯t designed to withstand stress forever. When our bodies operate outside of their ¡°normal¡± for a while, their physiological systems can be overwhelmed. This is called chronic allostasis overload.?
If the body¡¯s cortisol response goes on for too long, we may have symptoms. These symptoms mainly affect the immune system. They include:
- Decreased immune response
- Increased inflammatory response
- Hypertension??
- Fatigue
- Major Depressive Disorder
Cortisol levels aren¡¯t tested in standard lab panels. In most cases, a doctor won¡¯t test cortisol levels unless they suspect specific health concerns such as hypercortisolism or an adrenal tumor. These conditions can be diagnosed with a blood test.?
However, cortisol is normally beneficial. Most of cortisol¡¯s effects consist of deactivating the acute response system which has been mobilized to deal with a situation we can't control.??
Coping mechanisms can reduce stress
If this story only focused on cortisol and stress, we¡¯d be missing an important part of the equation: ourselves! How we perceive and respond to a stressful situation influences what happens in our bodies.?
The best way to combat stress is by developing efficient coping mechanisms. Depending on our personality and the problems we are facing, we tend to engage in two main coping styles. They are:
- Active coping, or trying to stay in control of the problem?
- Passive coping, or avoiding the problem
These coping styles may be helpful or harmful depending on the situation. For example, trying to stay in control of a situation that we can¡¯t change is not a good idea. Conversely, it¡¯s also not ideal to remain passive in a situation when there is something we could do to solve it. ?
The best solution? Try to be flexible and adapt your strategy to the circumstances rather than being rigid in how you react. ?
It is also important to learn how to relax rather than constantly thinking about the problem.
Here are some free and low-cost relaxation methods you can try at home and in the workplace:
- Meditation
- Yoga
- Physical Activity
- Engaging with our support system, such as family and friends
- Participating in workplace wellness programs?
It¡¯s also important for us to identify why we are stressed. This might look like taking a moment to identify the exact reasons you are having trouble coping with a situation. It can also help to name the emotions ¨C such as frustration, anger or deceit ¨C you are experiencing. Stress is a symptom, not an explanation. ?
If you are still struggling to cope with stress on your own, ask for help. Therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists and social work counselors can provide additional resources for managing stress. ?
Additionally, MD Anderson offers resources designed for managing stress during cancer treatment. Your doctor can also refer you to see a psychiatrist or get support from specialists focused on specific stressors such as pain management, fatigue and survivorship.
or call 1-877-632-6789.
Robotic surgery gets teen adrenal tumor patient back to sports
Mazen Nadim wasn¡¯t interested in robotic surgery to remove his adrenal tumor at first. No scar, no deal, the 15-year-old insisted. After all, if he had to travel across the world for a life-changing surgery, Mazen at the very least wanted a ¡°cool¡± scar that would impress his friends.
But as Mazen began to learn more about how a robotic surgery could help him recover faster and get him back to playing water polo, he began to consider the option.
An adrenal tumor diagnosis
Nearly a year before Mazen was faced with a decision regarding surgery, in May 2021, he contracted COVID-19. A few months later, he was still experiencing fatigue and chest pain, so he underwent a CT scan.
The scan revealed an 8 cm by 7 cm tumor in Mazen¡¯s adrenal gland. This small gland next to the kidney makes hormones that help the body control heart rate, blood pressure and other important functions.
Mazen¡¯s parents were devastated and anxious. They wanted the best medical care. They began considering hospitals far from their home in Cairo, Egypt, and consulting experts in Europe and the U.S.
As they researched, Mazen¡¯s dad, Mohammed, became interested in robotic surgery. He read that surgeons could operate by controlling a joystick that moved a robotic surgical tool through hard-to-reach spaces, often allowing for a smaller incision. Because this can mean shorter and less painful recovery for the patient, robotic surgery seemed ideal for Mazen, an athlete who wanted to get back to sports.
At the time, the family was considering seeking care in England, and they asked a surgeon there if robotic surgery was an option. No, the surgeon told Mohammed. Robotic surgeries were rarely done on children, and in this case, it wouldn¡¯t be possible. Eventually, Mohammed and his family decided to seek care for Mazen at a hospital in the U.S. that kept they kept hearing about over and over again: MD Anderson.
Traveling to MD Anderson for cancer treatment
The Nadims had never seen a hospital like MD Anderson before. It felt more like a hotel, and it was much, much bigger. It was intimidating, but as soon as they met Mazen¡¯s care team, they felt at home.
¡°Everyone was so nice,¡± Mazen says. ¡°Not one person was mean or scary.¡±
First, they met pediatric oncologist , Center Medical Director of MD Anderson¡¯s Children¡¯s Cancer Hospital.
Harrison and his team wanted to confirm Mazen¡¯s diagnosis. There was a chance that the cancer was benign. ¡°We¡¯re going to hope for that,¡± Harrison told them.
For the two months between when the tumor was first spotted and their visit to MD Anderson, the Nadims had felt as though they were living in a nightmare. But now they felt hope.
¡°At MD Anderson, it just always felt like there was a way,¡± Mohammed says.
Blood samples and scans did, in fact, reveal that the tumor was benign. The family instantly felt a wave of relief and began preparing for the only treatment the tumor would require, surgery. They met with pediatric surgeon Mohammed brought up the idea of robotic surgery.
Instead of saying no, Austin paused. She told the Nadims the pediatric surgery team had actually been considering robotic surgery for pediatric cancer cases. While many hospitals use robots in surgery for pediatric patients, few use it to operate on pediatric patients with cancer. She told him they would look into it and get back to him.
Undergoing robotic surgery for pediatric cancer
Austin turned to , a surgical oncologist. The two had performed pediatric surgeries together when Ikoma was a resident. Since then, Ikoma had become one of a few leaders in robotic surgery at MD Anderson. He performs nearly 90% of his operations using the robot and helped other surgeons start using them, too.
Together, Austin and Ikoma reviewed Mazen¡¯s CT scan. ¡°While pediatric surgery isn¡¯t my specialty, I was able to clearly envision how the surgery would go based on my previous robotic surgery experience,¡± Ikoma says. ¡°By collaborating with Dr. Austin, I was comfortable to offer robotic surgery for Mazen.¡±
Mazen and his family were thrilled. The robotic surgery meant Mazen would have a smaller incision.? He would be up and walking around faster. He¡¯d be able to get in the pool sooner, and he¡¯d back playing water polo months earlier than if he had had an open surgery.
In February, Mazen underwent surgery to remove the tumor. After the surgery, Mazen stayed in the hospital for two nights before eventually moving to the nearby house his parents rented during their stay in Houston. He initially woke up from the surgery with an aching pain. His care team helped him get up and walking and he was able to leave the hospital while taking minimal pain medications. As his incision began to heal, the pain soon subsided. ?He was up on his feet and walking that very same day.
¡°Everyone at MD Anderson was so helpful,¡± he says. ¡°I¡¯m really thankful for all of them.¡±
Mazen stayed in Houston an additional four weeks recovering from surgery. While he was looking forward to getting back home to see his friends and play sports, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little sad leaving.
¡°I¡¯m really going to miss this hospital,¡± he says.
or by calling 1-877-632-6789.