Adrenal Cancer

The vast amount of literature and rapid developments in the understanding and man agement of adrenal diseases have outpaced the ability of physicians to assimilate and utilize these advances in clinical settings. This book is designed to bring these developments to those interested in adrenal diseases and to assist clinicians in caring for patients with such diseases. The recent advances in the understanding of steroids, catecholamines, and utilization of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging have rendered disease of the adrenal gland more rewarding in terms of early detection. Although a number of basic and clinical improvements have been achieved in these diseases, there are still a number of unresolved problems, including the lack of effective cytotoxic agents for therapy of various disseminated adrenal malignancies. The natural history of certain diseases of the adrenal glands and their proximity to the genitourinary system makes these essential organs very attractive to urologic surgeons. Furthermore, for a number of diseases such as adrenogenital syndrome, hypertension, and certain tumors of these glands it is obviously desirable that urologic surgeons are familiar with diseases of "the adrenal glands." The first part of this book is an overview of the relevant embryology, anatomy, physiology, markers, pathology, imaging, and current progress. The second part covers specific diseases of the adrenal cortex and medulla. We hope that this volume will assist the physician in the diagnosis and management of patients with adrenal disease.

Imaging of the adrenal gland has made tremendous progress in the last decade as new technologies continue to evolve. Adrenal Imaging highlights the pertinent clinical and pathological information that underpins the accurate interpretation and use of adrenal imaging. Written by a prestigious group of international contributors, individual chapters in Adrenal Imaging serve as a relevant and up-to-date reference of adrenal imaging findings, algorithms and techniques in CT, MR nuclear medicine, intervention and trauma. Summary sections at the end of each chapter illuminate key teaching points to enhance retention.

We anticipate the book to be a definitive text on the subject that explores all aspects of the study of adrenal cancer and the treatment of patients with the disease. Chapters will cover epidemiology, pathogenesis, genetics, cancer stem cells, historic and emerging therapies, mouse models of adrenal cancer, new developments in tumor profiling, worldwide collaborative groups and tumor registries together with resources for the practitioner and community of adrenal cancer scientists. We do not wish this book to compete with the other larger books in the Endocrine and Endocrine Surgery literature. In addition, it is not expected to cover benign adrenal diseases that have been covered in detail in other venues. We envision this book to be a very specialized and exhaustive text on basic, translational and clinical aspects of adrenal cancer.

Adrenal Cortical Carcinoma is classically associated with a dismal prognosis. Yet its clinical presentation is changing (more and more classified as “incidentaloma”). New insights have emerged on its pathophysiological mechanisms (through the genetic elucidation of familial syndromes), and Reference Centers within National and European Networks are now offering more standardized and efficient multidisciplinary clinical management of these difficult patients. All these important aspects are described by experts in nine chapters dealing with epidemiology, prognosis, and clinical management, pathology, molecular pathophysiological mechanisms, modern imaging approaches, surgical and chemotherapeutical approaches of primary and secondary lesions, and the particular aspects of adrenal cortical carcinoma in children. This book, with its many figures and photographs, will be of major interest to endocrinologists, radiologists and nuclear medicine experts, pathologists, surgeons, oncologists, pediatricians. After a thorough reading, one will better recognize a suspicious adrenal “incidentaloma”, diagnose steroid hypersecretion, suspect a familial disease, consult with the pathologist and surgeon, manipulate difficult drugs like O,p'DDD, participate in multidisciplinary discussions with oncologists, radiotherapeutists, molecular biologists… Modern medicine in action!

We anticipate the book to be a definitive text on the subject that explores all aspects of the study of adrenal cancer and the treatment of patients with the disease. Chapters will cover epidemiology, pathogenesis, genetics, cancer stem cells, historic and emerging therapies, mouse models of adrenal cancer, new developments in tumor profiling, worldwide collaborative groups and tumor registries together with resources for the practitioner and community of adrenal cancer scientists. We do not wish this book to compete with the other larger books in the Endocrine and Endocrine Surgery literature. In addition, it is not expected to cover benign adrenal diseases that have been covered in detail in other venues. We envision this book to be a very specialized and exhaustive text on basic, translational and clinical aspects of adrenal cancer.

We anticipate the book to be a definitive text on the subject that explores all aspects of the study of adrenal cancer and the treatment of patients with the disease. Chapters will cover epidemiology, pathogenesis, genetics, cancer stem cells, historic and emerging therapies, mouse models of adrenal cancer, new developments in tumor profiling, worldwide collaborative groups and tumor registries together with resources for the practitioner and community of adrenal cancer scientists. We do not wish this book to compete with the other larger books in the Endocrine and Endocrine Surgery literature. In addition, it is not expected to cover benign adrenal diseases that have been covered in detail in other venues. We envision this book to be a very specialized and exhaustive text on basic, translational and clinical aspects of adrenal cancer.

This open access book deals with imaging of the abdomen and pelvis, an area that has seen considerable advances over the past several years, driven by clinical as well as technological developments. The respective chapters, written by internationally respected experts in their fields, focus on imaging diagnosis and interventional therapies in abdominal and pelvic disease; they cover all relevant imaging modalities, including magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and positron emission tomography. As such, the book offers a comprehensive review of the state of the art in imaging of the abdomen and pelvis. It will be of interest to general radiologists, radiology residents, interventional radiologists, and clinicians from other specialties who want to update their knowledge in this area.

This encompassing book is designed to contribute to a teamwork approach by promoting understanding between radiologists and clinical oncologists. All of the currently available imaging modalities of relevance in clinical oncology are covered, and the presentation of a broad spectrum of oncologic diseases (of most organ systems) on these modalities is discussed and illustrated. The role of multiparametric and multimodality imaging approaches providing both morphologic and functional information is considered in detail, and careful attention is paid to the latest developments in higher field (3T) MR imaging and advanced MR techniques such as diffusion-weighted imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, perfusion-weighted imaging and spectroscopy. The major challenge of incorporating progress in quantitative imaging technology into radiotherapy treatment planning, guidance, and monitoring is also addressed. This book will assist in refining the treatment approach in various oncologic diseases and organ systems based on specific imaging features. It will be of value to radiologists, oncologists, and other medical professionals involved in the diagnosis and treatment of oncology patients. ​