title: Etiological Observations in Seven Patients with Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (PNETs).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) are uncommon malignancies of largely unknown pathogenesis. Observations on patients and their families can provide clues on etiology.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a medical oncology practice cohort of 2,087 patients 5 females and 2 males with PNETs have been identified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Observations of etiologic interest have been made in 2 patients with PNETs. One female patient belongs to a kidney cancer family with a balanced translocation t(3;11)(q13;q21). A second female patient with PNET had a de novo translocation (t3;5)(q27;q14), its braking point could contain a tumor suppressor gene.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chromosome studies in patients with PNETs point to an etiologic role of balanced translocations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Landin
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland cancer@bluewin.ch.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Weber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D008875:Middle Aged; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D014178:Translocation, Genetic; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: PNET; Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor; cancer etiology