The vast majority of adrenal tumors are benign , being discovered either because of the effects of hormone overproduction or by virtue of the ability of ultrasound , CT or MRI scanners to detect small adrenal tumors that are usually benign adenomas.
Malignant adrenal tumors are treatable and curable when still confined to the gland.
Types Primary tumors of the adrenal glands include a benign tumor (cortical adenoma), which may develop in up to 8 percent of people, often without any symptoms or clinical findings. Other types include adrenocortical carcinoma , pheochromocytoma, neuroblastoma , ganglioneuroma, as well as a variety of other benign tumors. The adrenal gland is also a common site for metastatic cancer, particularly lung and breast cancer and melanomas.
Benign adrenocortical adenomas are generally less than 5 cm (2 in.) in diameter and, if functional, usually secrete a single hormone, such as hydrocortisone. The most common malignant tumors, adrenocortical carcinomas, tend to be large and to secrete several hormones . About 30 percent of these are nonfunctioning, meaning that they do not produce hormones. These tumors are usually recognized only after they have grown to a considerable size.
Pheochromocytomas, tumors of the adrenal medulla, can be either benign (85 percent) or malignant (15 percent). Either type can produce hormones or other substances that may cause significant health problems and sometimes fatal hypertension, but only the malignant tumor can spread to other places.
