Adrenal Cancer Introduction

People with adrenal cancer now have more treatment choices and more hope for survival than ever before. Doctors keep finding new treatments for adrenal cancer and ways to help people with adrenal cancer have better lives. We are continually learning more about adrenal cancer, its prevention, detection, and treatment.

What Is Adrenal Cancer?

Adrenal cancer is a rare cancer that begins in the adrenal glands.

Anatomy of the Adrenal Glands

Adrenal Gland: The adrenal glands sit atop the kidney and consist of an outer zone of cells, the adrenal cortex, which produces a variety of steroid hormones, and an inner zone, the adrenal medulla. The adrenal medulla produces adrenalin and noradrenalin, the secretion of which is controlled by the autonomic nervous system.

The adrenal glands are a pair of small organs located above the kidneys. The adrenal cortex is the outside layer of the adrenal glands. The inside layer is called the adrenal medulla. The adrenal glands produce hormones known as glucocorticoid steroids, which help control the metabolism of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. They also produce mineralocorticoids, which regulate the amount of sodium and potassium in body fluids. The glands produce small amounts of the sex hormones estrogen and androgen. The adrenal glands also secrete the adrenaline and noradrenaline hormones (also known as epinephrine and norepinephrine), which help regulate the part of the nervous system that controls the heart muscles and the digestive and respiratory systems.

Types of Adrenal Cancer

• Cancer of the adrenal cortex. This cancer affects cells in the outer layer of the adrenal gland, the adrenal cortex. It is also called adrenocortical carcinoma.

• Pheochromocytoma. This is a cancer of the adrenal medulla, the inside layer of the adrenal glands. Pheochromocytoma can also start in other parts of the body, but it most commonly occurs in the adrenal gland.