When treating cancer of the adrenal cortex, a doctor may take out the adrenal gland in an operation called an adrenalectomy. Tissues around the adrenal glands that contain cancer may also be removed. Chemotherapy is treatment with drugs that kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment, meaning that the drugs flow through the bloodstream to nearly every part of the body to kill cancerous cells. It is a local therapy that only affects cancer cells in the treated area.
External radiation is typically the method used for cancer of the adrenal cortex.
Besides treatment for the cancer itself, a patient with cancer of the adrenal cortex may also receive therapy to prevent or treat symptoms caused by the extra hormones that are made by the cancer. Treatment Side Effects Side effects can occur with cancer treatments because the treatment often damages healthy cells along with the cancer cells. Although patients are often uncomfortable during the first few days after surgery, this pain can usually be controlled with medicine. The recovery period after an operation varies from patient to patient. Chemotherapy drugs generally target rapidly dividing cancer cells.