Adrenal Cancer — Types, Symptoms & When to See a Specialist

What is Adrenal Cancer?

Adrenal cancer occurs when cells in one of the adrenal glands — two small, triangular hormone-producing glands sitting on top of each kidney — grow uncontrollably and form a tumour. The adrenal glands have two distinct parts: an outer cortex that produces cortisol, aldosterone and sex hormones, and an inner medulla that produces adrenaline and noradrenaline. Tumours can arise in either part, and the two behave very differently — which is why the type of adrenal tumour matters far more than its size alone.

Adrenal cancer is genuinely rare, but adrenal masses are common — found incidentally on around 5% of all abdominal CT scans done for unrelated reasons. The clinical question is rarely whether a mass exists but whether it is benign or malignant, and whether it is producing excess hormones. Modern imaging, blood and urine hormone testing, and selective biopsy can answer these questions reliably without unnecessary surgery. The goal of specialist evaluation is to identify the small minority of adrenal masses that need treatment, while reassuring everyone else.

Common Signs & Symptoms of Adrenal Cancer

Adrenal cancer can present in three quite different ways — as a mass found incidentally on imaging, with symptoms of hormone excess, or as advanced disease with abdominal or systemic symptoms. Watch for any of the following:

• An adrenal mass found incidentally on a CT or MRI scan done for unrelated reasons
• Persistent unexplained high blood pressure, especially in a young person or when difficult to control
• Episodic severe headaches, sweating, palpitations, panic-like attacks (suggests pheochromocytoma)
• Round 'moon-shaped' face, weight gain in the trunk, purple stretch marks, easy bruising, muscle weakness (suggests Cushing syndrome from cortisol excess)
• New facial hair in women, deepening of voice, irregular periods (suggests excess androgens from an adrenal tumour)
• Breast development or reduced libido in men (suggests excess oestrogen from an adrenal tumour)
• Persistent dull pain or fullness in the upper abdomen or back
• Unexplained weight loss, persistent tiredness, or low-grade fever
• Low potassium levels with high blood pressure (suggests aldosterone excess)

Adrenal Cancer in Telangana & Andhra Pradesh

Primary adrenal cancers remain genuinely rare across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, but with abdominal CT and MRI scans now widely available across Hyderabad and major district centres, an unexpected adrenal mass — called an adrenal incidentaloma — is now one of the most common reasons patients are referred to an oncology or endocrine specialist. The vast majority turn out to be benign adenomas that need only periodic imaging follow-up, but a small proportion require detailed hormone evaluation and either surgical removal or close monitoring.

The single most useful step in this region is straightforward: any adrenal mass larger than 4 cm, any mass with imaging features suggesting malignancy, and any mass producing hormone-related symptoms deserves specialist evaluation rather than continued observation in primary care. Younger patients with difficult-to-control high blood pressure also deserve evaluation for an underlying adrenal cause.

Common Causes & Risk Factors

The exact cause of most adrenal cancers is not known. Inherited syndromes account for a meaningful share of cases, particularly in younger patients. Known risk factors include:

• Inherited cancer syndromes — Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Lynch syndrome, multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN 1 and MEN 2), Von Hippel-Lindau disease, neurofibromatosis type 1, Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome
• Family history of adrenal cancer or pheochromocytoma
• A history of cancer elsewhere — raises risk of metastatic adrenal tumours
• Female sex — slightly higher risk for adrenocortical carcinoma
• Age — adrenocortical carcinoma has two peaks, one in early childhood and another in the 40s and 50s

When to See an Adrenal Cancer Specialist

See an endocrinologist, oncologist or surgical oncologist promptly if you notice any of the following:

• An adrenal mass found on a CT or MRI scan, especially if larger than 4 cm
• Difficult-to-control high blood pressure in a young person, or with episodic spikes
• Episodic severe headaches with sweating and palpitations
• Round 'moon-shaped' face, central weight gain, purple stretch marks, easy bruising
• New facial hair, voice changes, or irregular periods in women
• Breast development or reduced libido in men without obvious cause
• A felt mass or persistent dull pain in the upper abdomen or back
• A known cancer elsewhere with a new adrenal mass on staging imaging

A short specialist consultation and the right diagnostic test — imaging, endoscopy, biopsy, or blood test as appropriate — is usually enough to confirm or rule out cancer. Early action is always easier than catching up later.

Specialist Adrenal Cancer Care at CION Cancer Clinics

Our NABH-accredited centres across Hyderabad deliver evidence-based adrenal cancer care — from detailed hormone evaluation and dedicated adrenal imaging through to laparoscopic and open adrenalectomy with vascular and renal sparing where appropriate, mitotane therapy for adrenocortical carcinoma, modern systemic therapy for advanced disease, and pre-operative blood pressure preparation for pheochromocytoma — guided by NCCN and ESE protocols and reviewed for every patient by a multidisciplinary tumour board with endocrine, surgical and medical oncology input.

For a detailed walk-through of adrenal cancer diagnosis, treatment options, costs, and our specialist team, see our dedicated page on adrenal cancer treatment in Hyderabad.

Hear From People Who Walked This Journey With CION

From an incidental scan to a clear treatment plan — these are patients who reached us early and now share their story.