The particularities of management of patients with malignant tumors of adrenal medulla

Abstract

Pheochromoblastoma is a tumor developing from adrenal medulla and characterizing the severe course and high mortality level (15 %). Its severity is due to presence of not only malignancy but also catecholamine hyperproduction. The authors analysed the results of surgical treatment of 60 patients with pheochromoblastoma who were treated in surgical clinic in 1968–2017. The most effective method of treatment is surgery. The method of choice is a lumbotomic extraperitoneal access. The oncological radicality demands the complete tumor removal in a single capsule with the adrenal gland and revision of paranephric, paracaval and paraaortal tissues. Thirty eight (63.3 %) of 60 patients had 38 radical surgical procedures with following long-term remission. Three (5 %) patients had disease remission only after repeated surgery. Two patients live with the disease persistence, the drug ma­nagement of which is easier than before surgery. Eight (13.3 %) patients had widespread metastatic process and they were referred for the symptomatic treatment. The recurrence after the primary surgery is a poor prognostic factor. The majority of patients (55.8 %) with the recurrence were incurable. In the rest of the cases, the operative treatment led to the long-term remission only in 71.9 % patients.