title: Treatment of minute medullary thyroid carcinoma in multiple endocrine neoplasia 2A families first diagnosed by DNA analysis of RET proto-oncogene mutations: a case report.
abstract: Multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) 2A is an inherited disease characterized by the development of medullary thyroid carcinoma, pheochromocytoma and hyperparathyroidism. It has recently been shown to be associated with germ-line mutations in the RET proto-oncogene. We describe a 21-year-old man from a MEN 2A family who was found by DNA analysis to be a gene carrier of MEN 2A and then was diagnosed, using a stimulated calcitonin test, as having presymptomatic medullary thyroid carcinoma. His morbidity seems to have been cured by total thyroidectomy as postoperative calcitonin levels after stimulation are normal. It is concluded that direct genetic analysis for mutations in the RET proto-oncogene should be the diagnostic test of choice for identifying family members at risk for MEN 2A.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrine Surgery, Tokyo Women's Medical College, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lihara
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanbe
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Egawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Obara
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics; D000328:Adult; D018276:Carcinoma, Medullary / Q000235:genetics / Q000601:surgery*; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005192:Family Health; D006801:Humans; D006961:Hyperparathyroidism / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D018813:Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2a / Q000235:genetics / Q000601:surgery*; D009154:Mutation; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000235:genetics; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C416649:Ret protein, Drosophila