Medical management of adrenocortical carcinoma: Current recommendations, new therapeutic options and future perspectives

Abstract

Adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare malignant tumor of poor prognosis, frequently requiring additional treatments after initial surgery. Due to its adrenolytic action, mitotane has become the first-line medical treatment in patients with aggressive adrenocortical carcinoma. Over the last 2years, apart from the classical chemotherapy based on etoposide and platinum salts, several studies reported the use of drugs such as temozolomide, tyrosine kinase inhibitors or immunotherapy, with more or less convincing results. The aim of this review is to give further insights in the use of these drugs, and to describe potential therapeutic perspectives based on recent pangenomic studies, for the future management of these still difficult to treat tumors.

Keywords: Adrenal; Cancer; Chemotherapy; Chimiothérapie; Immunotherapy; Immunothérapie; Mitotane; Surrénales.