The type of cancer that develops in the cortex of the adrenal gland is called adrenal cortical carcinoma. It is also known as adrenocortical cancer (or carcinoma) or just adrenal cancer. In this document, the term adrenal cancer is used to mean cancer that starts in the adrenal cortex. Adrenal cancer most often is discovered for 1 of 2 reasons. The first is that it produces hormones that cause body changes such as weight gain and fluid retention, early puberty in children, or excess facial or body hair growth in women. The second reason an adrenal cancer may be.
