Survival impact of treatment utilization and margin status after resection of adrenocortical carcinoma

Am J Surg. 2025 Jan:239:115999. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2024.115999. Epub 2024 Oct 5.

Abstract

Background: This study examines the combined impact of margin status and adjuvant therapy utilization on overall survival (OS) for adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) patients undergoing surgery with curative intent.

Methods: The 2004-2020 National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried for ACC patients ≥18yrs undergoing curative surgery (no debulking), subdivided into R0 and R1/R2-groups, and analyzed using inverse-probability-weighted Cox Proportional Hazard-model.

Results: Of 5023 ACC patients, 3193 underwent curative surgery, 2213 (69 ​%) had R0 margins. Compared to the R0, the R1/R2 group had a decreased OS by 15.6 months (HR ​= ​1.89, p ​= ​0.002). While there has been no significant improvement in margin status over the years studied (2008-2017), there has been an overall increase in the proportion of patients receiving adjuvant therapy regardless of margin status, and the adverse impact of a positive margin on survival has decreased [HR 2.20 vs 1.76] CONCLUSIONS: R1/R2 margins are associated with decreased OS. The adverse impact of R1/R2 margins on OS decreased over time while adjuvant therapy utilization increased for all patients.

MeSH terms

  • Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms* / mortality
  • Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms* / surgery
  • Adrenalectomy / statistics & numerical data
  • Adrenocortical Carcinoma* / mortality
  • Adrenocortical Carcinoma* / pathology
  • Adrenocortical Carcinoma* / surgery
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / statistics & numerical data
  • Databases, Factual
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Margins of Excision*
  • Middle Aged
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Survival Rate
  • United States / epidemiology