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Adrenal Cancer

Gary D. Hammer, M.D., Ph.D., Director of Endocrine Oncology Program, discusses treatment of adrenal cancer. Continue learning about adrenal cancer.

Definition

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is rare, but very deadly. About 600 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States, or about one to two cases per million people. Learn more about adrenal cancer on the University of Michigan Health System's Healthwise Knowledgebase.

Diagnosis / Treatment

Adrenal Cancer is diagnosed and treated in the Multidisciplinary Adrenal Cancer Clinic. Research into the causes of this cancer, and how to best treat it, is pursued through the Endocrine Oncology Program. In spite of the rarity of adrenal cancer, our adrenal cancer physicians see about 10 to 15 adrenal cancer patients per week. Our clinic provides these patients:

• access to one of the top adrenal cancer programs in the country;
• access to the only multidisciplinary adrenal cancer treatment programs in the world;
• access to state-of-the-art standard and investigational therapies;
• the expertise of our Endocrine (Adrenal and Thyroid) Conference for consensus treatment recommendations.

We are at the forefront of research on adrenal cancer.
Research at the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center has established that many, if not all, cancers are caused by cancer stem cells. Unless these stem cells are destroyed, the cancer will return. Our goal is to develop a new therapy targeted directly at cancer stem cells. If we succeed, it will be a major step forward in the treatment of adrenal cancer.

We set the standard for outstanding patient care.
The Multidisciplinary Adrenal Cancer Program is recognized as an international center of excellence for the treatment of adrenal cancer. In 2008, our program was named a Blue Distinction Center for Complex and Rare Cancers as part of a national program by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.