Adrenal cancer treatment with hormonal therapy

Adrenal glands produce numerous hormones and biologically active substances. Among them are cortisol, adrenaline, noradrenaline, and aldosterone.   Patients with adrenal cancer often might produce excessive amounts of these hormones, which are often can cause severe symptoms. So doctors decided to try various drugs to keep the level of these substances adequate to prevent any possible severe symptoms. This type of treatment received the name hormonal therapy. Hormonal therapy might be prescribed before, during, or after other treatment methods. Also, it’s essential to understand that sometimes adrenal tumors don’t produce any hormones. So, patients need to undergo hormone level measurements before starting hormonal therapy. Currently, oncologists use streptozotocin, spironolactone, metyrapone, metyrozine, and many other medications for hormonal therapy of adrenal cancer. Most often, drugs for hormonal therapy are prescribed in oral administration forms (pills, capsules, etc. ).   Patients might take a single medication for hormonal therapy or a few medications at a time, depending on their condition, levels, and the types of hormones synthesized by their adrenal tumor.