Laparoscopic Resection is Inappropriate in Patients with Known or Suspected Adrenocortical Carcinoma

Background Complete surgical resection is the mainstay of treatment for patients with adrenocortical cancer (ACC). Use of laparoscopy has been questioned in patients with ACC. This study compares the outcomes of patients undergoing laparoscopic versus open resection (OR) for ACC. Methods A retrospective review (2003–2008) of patients with ACC was performed. Data were collected for demographics, operative and pathologic data, adjuvant therapy, and outcome. Chi-square analysis was performed. Results Eighty-eight patients (66% women; median age, 47 (range, 18–81) years) were identified. Seventeen patients underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA). Median tumor size of those who underwent LA was 7.0 (range, 4–14) cm versus 12.3 (range, 5–27) cm for OR. Recurrent disease in the laparoscopic group occurred in 63% versus 65% in the open group. Mean time to first recurrence for those who underwent LA was 9.6 months (±14) versus 19.2 months (±37.5) in the open group ( p