The adrenal glands secrete hormones such as testosterone, estrogen, aldosterone and catecholamines. The adrenal gland is made up of an outer cortex and an inner medulla, which secrete distinct hormones, according to the National Cancer Institute. A functioning adrenal tumor is one that secretes excess hormones; the type of hormone secreted depends on the specific region in which the tumor is located. Many symptoms of adrenal cancer are associated with overproduction of hormones, but some are hormone-independent.
Cushing's Syndrome
The Department of Surgery at University of Southern California reports that up to 70 percent of people with cancerous adrenal tumors in the adrenal cortical region have active tumors. These tumors secrete excess adrenal cortex hormones, and the majority of patients have symptoms of Cushing's syndrome.
Excess steroid hormones, such as testosterone and estrogen, are the cause of Cushing’s syndrome. Symptoms include weight gain, particularly around the face, chest and abdomen; hair growth on the face, arms and upper back in women; and muscle loss. Some women also have changes in menstruation, including loss of periods, bone weakness due to osteoporosis and an increase in acquiring infections. A cancerous adrenal tumor is one cause of Cushing's syndrome, but other causes exist as well, such as benign adrenal tumors and pituitary tumors.
Conn's Syndrome
Excess secretion of aldersterone, which is a type of steroid hormone, causes symptoms associated with Conn's syndrome. The symptoms of Conn's syndrome, according to the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami, are excess thirst and urination, high blood pressure, and low blood potassium levels.
Pheochromocytoma
Pheochromocytoma is a group of symptoms that are caused by a functioning hormone-secreting tumor that grows in the medulla region of the adrenal gland. According to the University of Southern California, only about 20 percent of tumors that grow in the medulla region are cancerous. Pheochromocytoma is caused by overproduction of hormones called catecholamines. The symptoms associated with pheochromocytoma include high blood pressure that does not respond to medication, flushing of the skin, and heart palpitations.
Symptoms Not Related to Hormones
There are several symptoms that are caused by a cancerous adrenal tumor that are unrelated to hormone production. Both hormone-secreting functional tumors and non-functional tumors that do not secrete hormones are associated with the following symptoms, according to the University of Miami: weight loss, persistent pain in the abdomen, an abdominal mass that can be felt with the fingers, and a feeling of fullness in the abdominal region.
