title: Somatic and germline mutations in NETs: Implications for their diagnosis and management.
abstract: It is now understood that specific somatic and germline mutations may lead to the development of the neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). NETs usually occur as sporadic isolated tumours, although they also may present as part of complex familial endocrine cancer syndromes, such as multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) and type 2 (MEN2), Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) and neurofibromatosis syndromes, tuberous sclerosis, Carney triad and dyad, Reed syndrome and polycythaemia-paraganglioma syndromes. Only in MEN2 syndrome is there a specific genotype-phenotype correlation, although in both sporadic and syndromic NETs some gene mutations are associated with specific clinico-pathological features and prognosis. There have been several advances in our understanding of the NETs leading to earlier detection and targeted therapeutic treatment, but given the poor prognosis associated with metastatic NETs, it will be necessary to find new biomarkers for the prediction of malignant potential and to find novel therapeutic targets for NETs.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Endocrinology, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Radcliffe Dept. of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minnetti
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Endocrinology, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Radcliffe Dept. of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK. Electronic address: Ashley.grossman@ocdem.ox.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Ashley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grossman
mesh_terms: D052138:Genes, Neoplasm; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000379:methods; D018095:Germ-Line Mutation; D006801:Humans; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000628:therapy
keywords: genetic; lung NETs; multiple endocrine neoplasia; mutation; neuroendocrine tumour; pancreatic NETs; paraganglioma/phaeocromocytoma; sporadic NETs; syndromic NETs