Adrenal metastases from adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction : adrenalectomy and long-term survival

Treatment of adrenal metastases from cancer of the esophagogastric junction (EGJ) is not defined. The aim of the present work is to analyze retrospectively our experience in treating patients with adrenal metastases from EGJ adenocarcinoma. 102 patients with Siewert 1 or 2 EGJ adenocarcinoma underwent esophagectomy between May 2001 and Jan 2009. Five patients were diagnosed an adrenal metastases from EGJ adenocarcinoma, synchronous (s) in one and metachronous (m) in four, in the latter 11 months (mean) after esophagectomy. At diagnosis, three patients had synchronous metastases to mediastinal nodes (1 s and 2 m), 1 (m) had synchronous metastases to bone, and 1 (m) had an isolated adrenal metastasis. Three patients with synchronous node metastasis received chemotherapy followed by adrenalectomy 3, 8 and 16 months (mean 9) after diagnosis; one patient also received postoperative mediastinal radiotherapy. These patients are alive with no evidence of disease 16, 40 and 50 months after diagnosis of adrenal metastasis. The patient with bone metastasis received chemotherapy only and died 12 months after diagnosis of metastatic disease. The patient with isolated metastasis underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy only, developed early bone metastases and died 15 months after surgery. In conclusion, our experience indicates that patients with adrenal metastases from adenocarcinoma of the EGJ may benefit from adrenalectomy if the gland is the only site of metastasis beyond lymphnodal disease. Chemotherapy should be considered before adrenalectomy to achieve better disease control and identify aggressive disease that would contraindicate adrenalectomy.