Long-term survival after adrenal metastasectomy from colorectal cancer: a report of two cases

BACKGROUND: Solitary adrenal metastasis from colorectal cancer is rare. Adrenal metastasis is usually detected with synchronous multiple metastases in other organs and is, therefore, considered to be unsuitable for surgical resection. The long-term outcomes of patients with solitary adrenal metastasectomy from colorectal cancer have been reported; however, the survival advantage has not been established. We herein report two cases of curative adrenal resection in patients with solitary adrenal metastasis from colorectal cancer who achieved long-term survival of > 9 years without recurrence after surgical resection. CASE PRESENTATION: The first case involved a 71-year-old man who underwent abdominoperineal rectal resection for rectal cancer. Preoperative CT revealed a mass in the right adrenal, which was growing after surgery. After chemotherapy the adrenal mass decreased in size, and adrenalectomy was performed at 8 months after the first surgery. A pathological examination confirmed metastasis from rectal cancer. The patient received adjuvant chemotherapy and is currently alive without recurrence at 9 years after the adrenalectomy. The second case involved a 53-year-old man who underwent sigmoidectomy for sigmoid colon cancer. Four years later, lobectomy was performed for isolated lung metastasis. Twenty months later, PET-CT revealed solitary metastasis in the left adrenal gland and adrenalectomy was performed. A histopathological examination revealed metastatic adenocarcinoma of sigmoid cancer. Postoperative chemotherapy was administered after adrenalectomy and the patient is currently alive and apparently disease-free at more than 9 years after undergoing adrenal metastasectomy. CONCLUSION: Curative resection for solitary adrenal metastasis from colorectal cancer may be beneficial for survival.