Occasionally, adrenal tumors can be found during physical examinations or tests for conditions such as high blood pressure. Therefore, patients often ask what is adrenal gland? What is adrenal tumor and do adrenal tumors require surgery? What are the indications for adrenal tumor surgery? Which adrenal tumors can be operated without surgery? How is surgery for adrenal tumors? What is the cost of adrenal tumor surgery? What is the prognosis of adrenal tumor? I am here to answer for the patients. What is adrenal gland? Adrenal glands are a pair of glands located above the kidneys, one on each side, which are important endocrine organs in human body. The adrenal glands can be divided into cortex and medulla. The adrenal cortex secretes glucocorticoids such as cortisol, salt corticoids such as aldosterone, and sex hormones such as dehydroepiandrosterone and androstenedione. The adrenal medulla secretes catecholamines such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine. These hormones play an important role in many of the body’s life activities. What is an adrenal tumor? Adrenal tumors are tumors that occur on the adrenal glands. Most of them are benign and are also called adrenal adenomas or adrenal tumors, which may also be called adrenal occupations because they appear as occupations in the adrenal glands or retroperitoneal region on CT or ultrasound. Some adrenal tumors do not secrete hormones and are often detected during physical examination. Some adrenal tumors can secrete the above hormones, causing various hormone system disorders and causing various hormone-related diseases in the body. Do adrenal tumors require surgery? Surgery is the most important treatment for adrenal tumors. The principle is to remove the tumor to the maximum extent possible while preserving the endocrine function of the organ. Removal of functional tumors can correct hormonal disorders. Removal of large non-functional tumors can remove the occupancy. Removal of malignant tumors can lay the foundation for comprehensive treatment. Removal of suspected metastatic tumors can clarify the diagnosis and get rid of the metastases. What are the indications for surgery of adrenal tumor? 1) Those with endocrine function leading to hormonal disorders; 2) Those with malignant or suspected malignant; 3) Isolated adrenal metastases where the primary tumor has been or can be resected and there are no metastases elsewhere; 4) Those with tumor diameter greater than or equal to 4 cm; 5) Those with tumor diameter less than 4 cm but the tumor increases more than 1 cm within 1 year. Which adrenal tumors can be operated without surgery? Non-functional adrenal tumor with diameter less than 4cm, excluding malignancy and metastasis, can be observed and reviewed by ultrasound or CT once in 3-6 months and adrenal biochemistry when necessary. If the tumor increases more than 1cm in size within 1 year, or if malignancy is found, or if abnormal adrenal hormones are found, surgical resection should be performed. What is the surgical procedure for adrenal tumor? Most adrenal tumors are suitable for minimally invasive surgery, either laparoscopic surgery or robotic surgery. A small number of large tumors or tumors that invade surrounding organs can be operated on openly. What is the cost of adrenal adenoma surgery? Most laparoscopic surgeries cost several thousand dollars and can be covered by medical insurance. What is the prognosis for adrenal adenoma? Most adrenal tumors have a good prognosis and rarely recur. Malignant adrenal tumors such as adrenocortical carcinoma and malignant pheochromocytoma are poorly treated and have a poor prognosis.