When is tumour removal surgery recommended for adrenal cancer?

The operation removes the affected adrenal gland and may include nearby tissue if the cancer has grown beyond the gland. Imaging helps the team assess whether the tumour can be removed and whether other organs or blood vessels are involved. Tests also check whether the tumour is making hormones, because hormone changes can affect preparation and recovery.

An endocrine, surgical and oncology team may discuss surgery with medicine, radiation or other care. The recommendation depends on the tumour’s extent, hormone activity, your general health and whether complete removal is technically possible. The operation may be open or minimally invasive depending on the tumour and the surgeon’s plan.

Ask which scans and hormone tests are needed before surgery and whether an anaesthetic review is required. Tell the team about blood-pressure problems, diabetes, steroid use and every medicine or supplement you take. Discuss whether the opposite adrenal gland can provide enough hormone function and whether replacement medicine may be needed.

Ask about the expected incision, hospital recovery, activity limits and follow-up plan. Make sure you know which medicines to take on the day of surgery and whom to contact if your health changes before admission.

After surgery, contact the team for increasing wound redness or drainage, fever, worsening abdominal pain, repeated vomiting or a persistent change in blood pressure. Seek urgent help for fainting, severe weakness, confusion, chest pain, trouble breathing or heavy bleeding. Before surgery, urgent advice is needed for severe abdominal pain, collapse or symptoms of a major hormone disturbance.

Ask: Can the tumour be removed with a clear margin? Is it producing hormones? Will nearby organs or blood vessels need treatment? What hormone replacement might be needed? Which specialists will follow me after surgery, and how will scans check for recurrence?