Stages I and II

Surgery is the main treatment for stage I and stage II adrenal cortical carcinoma. The entire adrenal gland will be removed. Since there are 2 adrenal glands, removal of the diseased one does not cause problems for the patient. If nearby lymph nodes are enlarged, they will be removed as well. Most surgeons do not remove these lymph nodes if their size is normal. If the cancer is not producing hormones, no further treatment may be necessary. However, there will be periodic follow-up examinations since even stage I cancers can come back. Another option is to give radiation or mitotane after surgery to help keep the cancer from coming back.