The management of patients with these tumors is complex, and the surgical and medical teams have to be familiar with the specific medical and pharmacologic measures needed to minimize the risk to the patient and control the anticipated complications. The blood pressure may rise significantly during anesthesia or surgery, causing a life-threatening crisis. Radiation There may be an adjuvant role for radiation therapy after an early-stage tumor is removed, although this is still investigational. In more advanced disease, radiation therapy may shrink bone metastases. Chemotherapy The drug mitotane is the only chemotherapeutic agent known to be effective in some patents with adrenocortical carcinoma .