Stereotactic or conformal radiotherapy for adrenal metastases: Patient characteristics and outcomes in a multicenter analysis

Int J Cancer. 2021 Jul 15;149(2):358-370. doi: 10.1002/ijc.33546. Epub 2021 Mar 25.

Abstract

To report outcome (freedom from local progression [FFLP], overall survival [OS] and toxicity) after stereotactic, palliative or highly conformal fractionated (>12) radiotherapy (SBRT, Pall-RT, 3DCRT/IMRT) for adrenal metastases in a retrospective multicenter cohort within the framework of the German Society for Radiation Oncology (DEGRO). Adrenal metastases treated with SBRT (≤12 fractions, biologically effective dose [BED10] ≥ 50 Gy), 3DCRT/IMRT (>12 fractions, BED10 ≥ 50 Gy) or Pall-RT (BED10 < 50 Gy) were eligible for this analysis. In addition to unadjusted FFLP (Kaplan-Meier/log-rank), we calculated the competing-risk-adjusted local recurrence rate (CRA-LRR). Three hundred twenty-six patients with 366 metastases were included by 21 centers (median follow-up: 11.7 months). Treatment was SBRT, 3DCRT/IMRT and Pall-RT in 260, 27 and 79 cases, respectively. Most frequent primary tumors were non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC; 52.5%), SCLC (16.3%) and melanoma (6.7%). Unadjusted FFLP was higher after SBRT vs Pall-RT (P = .026) while numerical differences in CRA-LRR between groups did not reach statistical significance (1-year CRA-LRR: 13.8%, 17.4% and 27.7%). OS was longer after SBRT vs other groups (P < .05) and increased in patients with locally controlled metastases in a landmark analysis (P < .0001). Toxicity was mostly mild; notably, four cases of adrenal insufficiency occurred, two of which were likely caused by immunotherapy or tumor progression. Radiotherapy for adrenal metastases was associated with a mild toxicity profile in all groups and a favorable 1-year CRA-LRR after SBRT or 3DCRT/IMRT. One-year FFLP was associated with longer OS. Dose-response analyses for the dataset are underway.

Keywords: SBRT; adrenal; oligometastases; outcome; patterns of care.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / radiotherapy*
  • Databases, Factual
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Palliative Care
  • Radiosurgery
  • Radiotherapy Dosage
  • Radiotherapy, Conformal
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / radiotherapy*
  • Survival Analysis
  • Treatment Outcome