Adrenocortical carcinoma: Clinical, morphologic, and molecular characterization Journal Article


Authors: Stojadinovic, A.; Ghossein, R. A.; Hoos, A.; Nissan, A.; Marshall, D.; Dudas, M.; Cordon-Cardo, C.; Jaques, D. P.; Brennan, M. F.
Article Title: Adrenocortical carcinoma: Clinical, morphologic, and molecular characterization
Abstract: Purpose: To define multimolecular phenotypes of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) and to correlate outcome with morphologic and molecular parameters. Patients and Methods: Clinical data were analyzed for 124 patients, histopathologic slides for 67 primary tumors, and tissue specimens for 74 patients (38 primary and 36 metastatic tumors) with ACC and for 38 normal adrenal tissue samples. Molecular expression profiles were investigated by immunohistochemistry. The prognostic significance of 12 gross and histologic parameters in 67 primary ACCs was evaluated. Morphologic and protein expression patterns were correlated with disease-specific survival (DSS). Univariate influence of prognostic factors on DSS was analyzed by log-rank test and multivariate analysis by Cox regression. Results: The median follow-up period was 4.7 years. Significant predictors of DSS included distant metastasis at time of initial presentation; venous, capsular, and adjacent organ invasion; tumor necrosis, mitotic rate, atypical mitosis, and mdm-2 overexpression. Five-year DSS by number (one to six) of adverse histologic parameters was as follows: one to two, 84%; three to four, 37%; more than four, 9% (P = .005).The phenotype Ki-67(-)p53(-)mdm-2(+)cyclinD1(-)Bcl-2(-)p21)(-)p27(+) was observed in 83% of normal and 3% of malignant adrenal tissue (P = .01). Molecular phenotypic expression was more heterogeneous in malignant than in normal (10 v five phenotypes) adrenal tissue. Conclusion: Meticulous morphologic evaluation, mitotic count, and tumor stage are essential in determining prognosis for patients with ACC. Multimolecular phenotyping demonstrates that the molecular complexity and heterogeneity of these neoplasms are such that targeted therapy needs to be patient specific. © 2002 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Keywords: immunohistochemistry; adolescent; adult; cancer survival; child; controlled study; protein expression; aged; child, preschool; disease-free survival; middle aged; retrospective studies; major clinical study; proto-oncogene proteins; clinical feature; histopathology; cancer staging; molecular genetics; follow up; neoplasm staging; ki 67 antigen; mitosis; phenotype; gene overexpression; metastasis; protein p53; nuclear proteins; adrenal cortex carcinoma; cancer invasion; gene expression regulation, neoplastic; correlation analysis; infant; protein p27; neoplasm metastasis; outcomes research; multivariate logistic regression analysis; mitosis rate; multivariate analysis; neoplasm invasiveness; cyclin d1; databases, factual; protein p21; adrenocortical carcinoma; protein mdm2; proto-oncogene proteins c-mdm2; adrenal cortex neoplasms; genetic heterogeneity; tumor necrosis; adnexa disease; humans; prognosis; human; male; female; priority journal; article
Journal Title: Journal of Clinical Oncology
Volume: 20
Issue: 4
ISSN: 0732-183X
Publisher: American Society of Clinical Oncology  
Date Published: 2002-02-15
Start Page: 941
End Page: 950
Language: English
DOI: 10.1200/jco.20.4.941
PUBMED: 11844815
PROVIDER: scopus
DOI/URL:
Notes: Export Date: 14 November 2014 -- Source: Scopus
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MSK Authors
  1. Murray F Brennan
    1053 Brennan
  2. Ronald A Ghossein
    449 Ghossein
  3. Axel Hoos
    28 Hoos
  4. Aviram Nissan
    20 Nissan
  5. David P Jaques
    66 Jaques
  6. Maria E Dudas
    53 Dudas