Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Adrenal Gland Metastases: Outcomes and Toxicity

Purpose: This study aimed to report on our institutional experience in the use of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for the treatment of adrenal gland metastases. Specifically, we examined the outcomes and toxicity from this treatment modality on adjacent organs at risk.

Methods And Materials: Data were retrieved from patients with adrenal metastases who were treated with SBRT between 2008 and 2017. Patients with primary adrenal malignancies were excluded. Toxicities were graded in accordance with the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.03. Time-to-event rates were calculated from the date of SBRT delivery.

Results: In total, 35 patients with adrenal metastases were identified. Four patients were treated for bilateral disease. The median dose was 40 Gy (range, 20-54 Gy) in 5 fractions (range, 1-6 fractions). The median follow-up time was 37 months (range, 14-451 months) from disease diagnosis and 7 months (range, 1-54 months) from the SBRT start date. With death treated as a competing risk event, the cumulative incidence of local failure was 7.6% at 1 year after SBRT and 19.2% at 3 years. The median overall survival (OS) time was 19 months (95% confidence interval, 8-54 months) and tumor size correlated with survival ( = .0006). Patients with metastases <2.9 cm had a median OS of 54 months compared with 11 months for those with adrenal metastases ≥2.9 cm ( = .01). Incidence of grade 2 toxicity was 17% with no case of grade ≥3 toxicity. SBRT did not impact renal function with a mean estimated decline in glomerular filtration rate of only 2.6 ± 8 mL/min/1.73 m compared with baseline. Combined kidneys V5 and combined renal cortex V17.5 did not correlate with a change in estimated glomerular filtration rate ( = .7 and  = .9, respectively).

Conclusions: SBRT offers excellent local control for the treatment of adrenal gland metastases with very low toxicity rates and no significant short-term impact on renal function.