what is this rare and aggressive cancer that Emilie Dequenne is suffering from again

See my news
Follow News

Last April, actress Emilie Dequenne announced on her Instagram account that she was in remission from a rare cancer: adrenocorticaloma. But this Monday, December 2, 2024, the Belgian actress spoke again about her illness, announcing the recurrence of her illness.

“I won’t live as long as expected,” declared Émilie Dequenne, 43, on the set of Sept à Huit, on TF1. “It turns out that, unfortunately, things are not progressing well. (…) Here I am again going for the chemo that I experienced a little over a year ago,” she announced during the interview.

The actress places her hopes in medicine: “I trust medicine. (…) I hope that research for my cancer will continue to advance.” But what exactly are we talking about?

A rare disease

In fact, this disease is linked to the adrenal glands. The body has two adrenal glands located above each kidney. They are part of the endocrine system, the collection of glands and cells that make hormones (which regulate many body functions, including growth, reproduction, sleep, hunger and metabolism) and release them into the blood.

Each adrenal gland is made up of two parts: the external part or cortex (also called adrenal cortex) and the central part (or adrenal medulla).

Adrenocortical carcinoma develops from the cortex. It is a rare tumor since its incidence is 1 to 2 per million inhabitants.

No risk factor

In the vast majority of cases, adrenocortical carcinoma affects a person without any cause or contributing factor being able to be identified. Even if women seem more affected.

This type of cancer is sometimes present without apparent signs. But symptoms can occur when the tumor causes changes in the levels of hormones produced by the adrenal glands (cortisol, testosterone, androgens, etc.): red, rounded face, weight gain, accumulations of fat behind the neck and at the of the trunk; stretch marks on the abdomen, thighs and arms, bruising linked to vascular fragility, osteoporosis linked to protein loss, sleep disorders, a depressive tendency, concentration problems, etc.

The perception of a mass during abdominal palpation, the existence of nausea and vomiting, abdominal or lower back pain can also be suggestive…

What exams?

There are various types of examinations to “identify” the adrenocortical tumor: a blood test and a urine collection to assess the excess hormones then radiological examinations (CT scan, MRI) to assess the size and extent. of the tumor.

“Adrenocorticaloma is an aggressive disease, exposing it to relapses, a risk of locoregional extension and distant metastases (liver, lungs, bones, etc.),” explains the Adrenal Association.

The management of this tumor must be done in Specialized Centers, by a specialized multidisciplinary team, bringing together the endocrinologist, the oncologist, the radiologist, the nuclear doctor, the surgeon, the radiotherapist, the anatomopathologist. The choice of treatments for each patient can thus be discussed during a multidisciplinary consultation meeting (RCP) and a personalized care program will be developed.

The risk of relapses is correlated with the stage of the disease. The higher the stage (extension of the disease) the higher the risk. Finally, as the Orphanet portal, dedicated to rare diseases, specifies, “the prognosis for people with adrenocortical carcinoma is poor. (the 5-year survival rate is 36%)except in the case of a small tumor where complete resection is possible.”

With Destination Santé

Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to Mon Actu.