A novel lynch syndrome kindred with hereditary adrenal cortical carcinoma

Abstract

Background: Adrenal cortical carcinoma (ACC) is an extremely rare malignancy, and advanced ACC carries a very poor prognosis. Early detection is critical since early-stage disease can be cured with surgical resection. ACC can be seen in Lynch syndrome; this case and review of the literature provide insight as to the potential biological origin of this malignancy. Clinicians should be aware of this association and the potential impact on cancer screening in these kindreds.

Case presentation: We describe a novel kindred with hereditary adrenal cortical carcinoma and the Muir- Torre syndrome, a phenotypic variant of Lynch syndrome that includes sebaceous neoplasms and visceral malignancies. We report a 59-year-old Caucasian man with an MSH2 deletion who was diagnosed with metastatic adrenal cortical carcinoma. The patient's brother also had a history of adrenal cortical carcinoma. The patient's cancer initially responded to immunotherapy with pembrolizumab. Somatic genetic testing performed on a tumor biopsy did not identify the germline MSH2 deletion.

Conclusions: A review of the literature identifies an association between germline MSH2 mutations and ACC, suggesting a potential biological basis for carcinogenesis. This case highlights the importance of ACC screening for patients with Lynch Syndrome and a family history of adrenal cortical carcinoma due to the high mortality from this malignancy. This case also highlights the importance of separate germline and somatic testing for patients with a concerning personal or family history of cancers.

Keywords: Adrenal cortical carcinoma; Cancer screening; Lynch syndrome; Muir–Torre syndrome; Somatic tumor testing.