Outcomes after resection of cortisol-secreting adrenocortical carcinoma

•Cortisol secretion was associated with an increased risk of postoperative morbidity.•Cortisol-secretion was associated with a shorter recurrence-free survival.•Cortisol secreting status may be important for tailoring postoperative surveillance.

BackgroundWe sought to define the impact of cortisol-secreting status on outcomes after surgical resection of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC).MethodsThe U.S ACC group database was queried to identify patients who underwent ACC resection between 1993 and 2014. The short-term and long-term outcomes were assessed.ResultsThe incidence of all functional and cortisol-secreting tumors was 40.6% and 22.6%, respectively. On multivariable analysis, cortisol secretion remained associated with an increased risk of postoperative complications (odds ratio = 2.25, 95 % confidence interval = 1.04 to 4.88; P = .04). At a median follow-up of 17.6 months, 118 patients (50.4%) had developed a recurrence. On multivariable analysis, after adjusting for patient and disease-related factors cortisol secretion independently predicted shorter recurrence-free survival (Hazard ratio = 2.05, 95% confidence interval = 1.16 to 3.60; P = .01).ConclusionsCortisol secretion was associated with an increased risk of postoperative morbidity. Recurrence remains high among patients with ACC after surgery; cortisol secretion was independently associated with a shorter recurrence-free survival. Tailoring postoperative surveillance of ACC patients based on their cortisol secreting status may be important.