Adrenal cancer after resection: followup imaging – pro
Adrenal cancer is not common and the clincial experience with it is limited. There is much information on how to follow it before resection but not as much on how to follow resected cancers. Many adrenocortical cancers are not particularly PET avid. A recent guideline says this: “An enhanced CT scan of chest and abdomen is recommended every 3 months for 1 year post-operatively, followed by repeat scans every 3–6 months for 5 years and at least annually thereafter if there is no evidence of tumor recurrence. Bone scans and brain MRI should be based on symptoms. PET is a promising tool that is currently under clinical investigation and should not yet be considered a standard of care in patient follow-up.”
Fassnacht M, Allolio B. Clinical management of adrenocortical carcinoma. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. Apr 2009;23(2):273-89.
Schteingart, D E, Doherty, G M, Gauger, P G, Giordano, T J, Hammer, G D, Korobkin, M, Worden, F P Management of patients with adrenal cancer: recommendations of an international consensus conference Endocr Relat Cancer 2005 12: 667-680