Emilie Dequenne in remission from adrenocorticaloma: what is this rare form of cancer ?

Emilie Dequenne en rémission d’un corticosurrénalome : quelle est cette forme rare de cancer ?

Présente au Festival de Cannes, la comédienne Emilie Dequenne est revenue sur la bataille qu’elle mène contre une forme rare de cancer du rein dont elle est en rémission : le corticosurrénalome. De quoi s’agit-il ?

Last April, actress Emilie Dequenne announced on her Instagram account that she was in remission from a rare cancer: adrenocorticaloma. Present on the Croisette, at the Cannes Film Festival, she explained on the set of the show C à vous on France 5 to be since "very tired and very, very closely watched. It’s a complicated disease". What are you talking about ?

The body has two adrenal glands located above each kidney. They are part of the endocrine system, the collection of glands and cells that make hormones (which regulate many body functions, including growth, reproduction, sleep, hunger and metabolism) and release them into the blood.

Each adrenal gland is made up of two parts: the external part or cortex (also called adrenal cortex) and the central part (or adrenal medulla). Adrenocortical carcinoma develops from the cortex. It is a rare tumor since its incidence is 1 to 2 per million inhabitants.

No risk factor

In the vast majority of cases, adrenocortical carcinoma affects a person without any cause or contributing factor being able to be identified. Even if women seem more affected.

This type of cancer is sometimes present without apparent signs. But symptoms can occur when the tumor causes changes in the levels of hormones produced by the adrenal glands (cortisol, testosterone, androgens…): red, rounded face, weight gain, accumulation of fat behind the neck and trunk; stretch marks on the abdomen, thighs and arms, bruising linked to vascular fragility, osteoporosis linked to protein loss, sleep disorders, a depressive tendency, concentration problems…hellip;

The perception of a mass during abdominal palpation, the existence of nausea and vomiting, abdominal or lower back pain can also be suggestive…

What exams ?

There are various types of tests to "identify" adrenocorticaloma: a blood test and urine collection to assess excess hormones then radiological examinations (CT scan, MRI) to assess the size and extent of the tumor .

"Adrenocorticaloma is an aggressive disease, exposing to relapses, a risk of locoregional extension and distant metastases (liver, lungs, bones& ;hellip;) ", explains the Adrenal Association. "The management of this tumor must be done in Specialized Centers, by a specialized multidisciplinary team, bringing together the endocrinologist, the oncologist, the radiologist, the doctor nuclear, the surgeon, the radiotherapist, the anatomopathologist. The choice of treatments for each patient can thus be discussed during a multidisciplinary consultation meeting (RCP) and a personalized care program will be developed. "

The risk of relapses is correlated with the stage of the disease. The higher the stage (extension of the disease) the higher the risk. Finally, as the Orphanet portal, dedicated to rare diseases, specifies, "the prognosis for people with adrenocorticaloma is poor (the 5-year survival rate is 36%), except in case of small tumor for which complete resection is possible ".