{"id":290281,"date":"2026-10-13T09:50:05","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T09:50:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pharmeasy.in\/blog\/?p=290281"},"modified":"2026-10-13T09:50:17","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T09:50:17","slug":"cancer-care-adrenal-tumor-symptoms-causes-diagnosis-and-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pharmeasy.in\/blog\/cancer-care-adrenal-tumor-symptoms-causes-diagnosis-and-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"Adrenal Tumor: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n<\/head>

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<\/span>Introduction<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAn adrenal tumor is any abnormal growth that develops in one of the two adrenal glands. These tumors can be benign (non-cancerous) or cancerous. Additionally, some may produce excess hormones, while others may not 1<\/a><\/sup>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this blog, we will discuss the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and management options for adrenal tumors.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>What Is an Adrenal Gland Tumor?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAdrenal glands are small glands located above both your kidneys. They produce hormones that regulate several important functions, including blood pressure, metabolism, and the body\u2019s salt and water balance, \u00a0and also help the body respond to stress 2<\/a><\/sup>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An adrenal tumor develops when cells in an adrenal gland grow abnormally. Most adrenal gland tumors <\/strong>detected incidentally on an abdominal scan are benign, but a small number might be cancerous or hormone producing tumor3<\/a><\/sup>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Types of Adrenal Gland Tumors<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAdrenal gland tumors can develop from different types of cells and include 3<\/a>,4<\/a>,5<\/a><\/sup>:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Pheochromocytoma:<\/strong> A rare tumor that develops from the adrenal medulla, producing excessive catecholamines which often lead to high swings in blood pressure or difficult to control blood pressure and related complications. A subset of these show metastatic potential. \u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Adrenocortical carcinoma:<\/strong> A rare type of cancer that develops in the outer layer (cortex) of the adrenal gland.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Neuroblastoma:<\/strong> A rare type of cancer that mainly affects children and develops from immature nerve cells, sometimes in or near the adrenal glands.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Cushing\u2019s syndrome:<\/strong> Adrenal gland tumor producing excessive corticosteroids lead to certain metabolic changes leading to diabetes, blood pressure, electrolyte changes, increased risk of infections , etc. \u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Conn\u2019s syndrome:<\/strong> Adrenal gland tumor producing excessive amount of mineralocrticoids often lead to hypertension and low potassium level. These may have genetic disease links and can manifest across several members amongst the family. \u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
There are also non functioning , being tumors and cysts arising from adrenal gland . \u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Adrenal Tumor vs Adrenal Cancer<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The terms adrenal tumor and adrenal cancer are related, but it is important to understand that they do not mean the same thing. The table below will help you understand the difference better.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Feature<\/strong>\u00a0<\/td> Adrenal Tumor<\/strong>\u00a0<\/td> Adrenal Cancer<\/strong>\u00a0<\/td><\/tr>
Meaning\u00a0<\/td> Abnormal growth in an adrenal gland that may be benign or malignant^{1<\/a>,3<\/a><\/sup><\/td>} A malignant tumor that develops in the adrenal gland^{1<\/a><\/sup><\/td><\/tr>}
Cancerous?\u00a0<\/td> Not always\u00a0<\/td> Always\u00a0<\/td><\/tr>
Risk of spreading\u00a0<\/td> Benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body^{6<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0<\/td>} Cancer can invade nearby tissues and may spread to other organs^{6<\/a><\/sup><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\nNote:<\/strong> All adrenal cancers are adrenal tumors, but not all adrenal tumors are adrenal cancers. It is very important to keep in mind that the term adrenal tumor simply means an abnormal growth of the adrenal gland and does not automatically indicate adrenal gland cancer.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>}