Medullary thyroid carcinoma: nationwide Japanese survey of 634 cases in 1996 and 271 cases in 2002

Static Prognostic Factors and Appropriate Surgical Designs for Patients with Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma: The Second Report from a Single-Institution Study in Japan

Background

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) originates from calcitonin-producing cells of the thyroid. In 2009, we published our first report on the biological characteristics and prognosis of 118 MTC patients. Herein, we enrolled a larger number of patients with longer follow-up periods to further study the biological characteristics and appropriate therapies for MTC.

Methods

In general, hemithyroidectomy and total thyroidectomy were performed for sporadic MTC confined to the thyroid lobe and for hereditary MTC with central node dissection, respectively. Moreover, prophylactic modified radical neck dissection was performed on the side of macroscopic tumors.

Results

In total, 233 patients (99 hereditary and 134 sporadic) were enrolled. The median follow-up time was 128 months (range 7–445 months). Biochemical cure was obtained in 36 (62%) of the 58 patients who underwent prophylactic MND and were pathologically positive for lateral node metastasis. None of the patients had recurrence in the preserved thyroid. Distant recurrence was detected in 19 patients, and 12 died of MTC. Preoperative calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen levels, tumor size (T) > 4 cm, the male sex, clinical and pathological node metastases (N1), distant metastasis (M1), extrathyroid extension (Ex), and a lack of biochemical cure had prognostic impacts on distant recurrence and/or carcinoma-related mortality on univariate analysis. On multivariate analysis, Ex was independently correlated with distant recurrence, and Ex, T > 4 cm, and M1 independently affected carcinoma-related mortality.

Conclusion

MTC patients had excellent prognosis in our institutions, indicating that our surgical strategies were appropriate.

Different outcomes in sporadic versus familial medullary thyroid cancer

BACKGROUND

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) has varying clinical course with familial cases (fMTC) diagnosed earlier than sporadic MTC (spMTC).

METHODS

A total of 273 MTCs (familial: n = 110 [40.3%], males: 38.5%) were followed for 1-35 years (median 5.0 years). Fifty one of the familial cases were operated because of positive findings at genetic screening. Disease extent at diagnosis and follow-up was recorded.

RESULTS

Mean age at diagnosis was: fMTC = 33.85 ± 16.5 years (range 4-74) and spMTC = 52.6 ± 14.0 years (range 16-81, P < .001). This difference remained when genetic screening cases were excluded. fMTCs had more frequently multifocality, smaller size, and more favorable stage at diagnosis (stages I and II: 60.9% vs 47.9%, stage III: 30.0% vs 23.9%, stage IV: 9.1% vs 28.9%, P = .01). fMTC had lower preoperative and postoperative calcitonin, more frequently remission (59.1% vs 47.2%) and less frequently progressive disease (8.2% vs 35.0%, P < .001). After excluding genetic screening cases, no difference in stage at diagnosis was observed. Outcome was more favorable in fMTC compared to sporadic (P = .002); the 10-year probability of lack of progression of disease differed significantly between fMTCs and spMTCs (86.4% vs 65.0%, P < .001).

CONCLUSION

After excluding genetic screening cases, although stage at diagnosis is similar, disease outcome remains worse in sporadic compared to fMTCs.

Current Consensus on I-131 MIBG Therapy

Metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) is structurally similar to the neurotransmitter norepinephrine and specifically targets neuroendocrine cells including some neuroendocrine tumors. Iodine-131 (I-131)-labeled MIBG (I-131 MIBG) therapy for neuroendocrine tumors has been performed for more than a quarter-century. The indications of I-131 MIBG therapy include treatment-resistant neuroblastoma (NB), unresectable or metastatic pheochromocytoma (PC) and paraganglioma (PG), unresectable or metastatic carcinoid tumors, and unresectable or metastatic medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). I-131 MIBG therapy is one of the considerable effective treatments in patients with advanced NB, PC, and PG. On the other hand, I-131 MIBG therapy is an alternative method after more effective novel therapies are used such as radiolabeled somatostatin analogs and tyrosine kinase inhibitors in patients with advanced carcinoid tumors and MTC. No-carrier-aided (NCA) I-131 MIBG has more favorable potential compared to the conventional I-131 MIBG. Astatine-211-labeled meta-astatobenzylguanidine (At-211 MABG) has massive potential in patients with neuroendocrine tumors. Further studies about the therapeutic protocols of I-131 MIBG including NCA I-131 MIBG in the clinical setting and At-211 MABG in both the preclinical and clinical settings are needed.

Dynamic risk stratification for medullary thyroid cancer according to the response to initial therapy

Detecting persistent/recurrent disease of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is important. The tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging system is useful for predicting disease-specific mortality, but is a static system and does not include postoperative serum calcitonin levels. We have focused on the clinical usefulness of dynamic risk stratification (DRS) using the best response to the initial therapy in MTC patients. A total of 120 MTC patients were classified into three DRS groups based on their responses to initial therapy. Clinical outcomes were assessed according to TNM staging and DRS. In the DRS, 70, 23 and 7 % of the MTC patients were classified into excellent, biochemical incomplete, or structural incomplete response groups, respectively. On TNM staging, 37, 16, 13 and 35 % of patients were stages I-IV, respectively. There were significant differences in survivals according to TNM staging (p = 0.03) and DRS (p = 0.005). During the median follow-up of 6.2 years, 75 patients (63 %) demonstrated no evidence of disease (NED). About 60 and 17 % of patients in stages III and IV were NED, respectively. DRS predicted NED better than TNM staging according to the proportion of variance explained (PVE) (49.1 vs. 28.7 %, respectively). At the final follow-up, 88, 4 and 0 % of patients in excellent, biochemical incomplete, and structural incomplete response groups attained NED, respectively. DRS based on the best response to the initial therapy can provide useful prognostic information in addition to initial TNM staging for predicting of mortality, as well as the likelihood of NED in MTC patients.

Retrospective analysis of 140 cases of medullary thyroid carcinoma followed-up in a single institution

Familial cases of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) may be diagnosed by genetic screening, while in sporadic tumors the diagnosis relies mainly on fine-needle aspiration cytology. The aim of the present study was to determine the demographic, clinical and pathological characteristics of MTC patients followed-up at the Portuguese Institute of Oncology Francisco Gentil (Lisbon, Portugal). For that purpose, a retrospective analysis of 140 MTC patients diagnosed between 1990 and 2010 was performed. The results indicated that patients with hereditary MTC (11.4%) were significantly younger than patients with sporadic MTC. Of the latter, 34.3% had no clinical suspicion of MTC prior to surgery. The sensitivity of cytology and calcitonin (CT) assay in diagnosing MTC were 51.3 and 98.7%, respectively. All familial index cases and 69.0% of sporadic cases presented with advanced stage disease at the time of diagnosis, while 73.0% of familial MTC detected by genetic/pentagastrin screening were diagnosed at the early stage of the disease. Biochemical cure (BC) was achieved in 39.7% of patients and, of these, only 6.5% relapsed. The 5 and 10-year survival rates were 79.3 and 73.6%, respectively. Age >45 years (P=0.026), advanced stage at diagnosis (P<0.001) and absence of BC (P<0.001) were predictors of a worse prognosis on univariate analysis. However, when the patients detected by genetic/pentagastrin screening were excluded from the analysis, age was no longer a prognostic factor, although disease stage remained a significant prognostic factor. On multivariate analysis, BC was the only factor with a significant impact on prognosis (P=0.031). In addition, the present study confirmed that the majority of patients were diagnosed at advanced stages, and CT determination was observed to be more sensitive than cytology to diagnose MTC. Patients at early stages were more prone to achieve BC, which was a favorable prognostic factor. To the best of our knowledge, the present study reports for the first time that age at diagnosis is not a predictor of survival for patients with MTC when cases diagnosed by genetic/pentagastrin screening (who are usually young patients at the initial stages of the disease), are excluded from the analysis.

Changing trends in the clinicopathological features and clinical outcomes of medullary thyroid carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The early detection of papillary thyroid cancer has contributed to the increase in the incidence and improved clinical outcomes. However, recent changes of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) over time remain unclear. We evaluated changes of the clinicopathological characteristics and clinical outcomes in patients with MTC in recent years.

METHODS

A total of 109 MTC patients were classified based on the year of initial surgery: 1996-2000 (n = 14), 2001-2006 (n = 39), and 2007-2011 (n = 56).

RESULTS

The primary tumor size significantly decreased and the proportion of microMTCs (size ≤1 cm) increased over time (P = 0.002 and P < 0.001, respectively). The proportion of patients with cervical lymph node (LN) metastasis significantly decreased (P = 0.037), and the ratio of metastatic LNs significantly decreased (P = 0.011). Disease-free survival (DFS) rate of patients was significantly improved over time (P = 0.007). There was no significant difference in DFS between microMTC and macroMTC patients. However, more advanced LN stage patients demonstrated more recurrences (P < 0.001). Especially, there were significantly more recurrences in patients with N1b diseases in comparison with patients without cervical LN metastases (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The prognosis of MTC patients has significantly improved in recent years. These changes could be associated with the early diagnosis before development of lateral and extensive cervical LN metastases. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;113:152-158. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A newly identified missense mutation in RET codon 666 is associated with the development of medullary thyroid carcinoma

A 38-year-old woman with a thyroid nodule measuring approximately 2 cm was suspected to have medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) because of markedly elevated serum calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen levels. There were no signs of pheochromocytoma, whereas primary hyperparathyroidism was suspected based on the findings of inappropriate hypersecretion of parathyroid hormone although no parathyroid tumor was detected with imaging studies. RET mutation analysis revealed a novel germline missense mutation in codon 666, c.1997A>G (p.K666R). She underwent total thyroidectomy with lymphadenectomy and simultaneous total parathyroidectomy with autotransplantation of parathyroid tissue. She was given calcium lactate and alfacalcidol to prevent postoperative hypocalcemia. Pathological findings of the thyroid tumor were compatible with MTC, but the resected parathyroid glands were intact. To our knowledge, c.1997A>G (p.K666R) is a new RET mutation. This is a minor variant, but it is significant because of the possible pathogenicity in tumor formation. It is often difficult to determine whether MTC is generated as part of MEN2-related disease or familial MTC when it is a unique manifestation. In addition, it is still unclear whether all missense mutations in this codon reported previously will lead to the same clinical course and prognosis. Further careful observations of clinical presentation are required to determine the clinical features associated with this variant.

Multiple endocrine neoplasia 2B: delayed presentation, rapid diagnosis

Multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) refers to the synchronous or metachronous development of tumours in two or more endocrine organs. MEN 2B is associated with medullary thyroid carcinoma and phaeochromocytoma along with classic morphological features such as marfanoid habitus and mucosal neuromas. Dominantly inherited germline mutations involving the REarranged during Transfection (RET) proto-oncogene are responsible. Affected patients usually present in childhood with thyroid mass or gastrointestinal symptoms. We describe the case of a 28-year-old man who presented to us with metastatic medullary thyroid carcinoma. He lacked the classic marfanoid habitus, but had mucosal neuromas and thickened corneal nerves. Whole-body metaiodobenzyl guanidine scan (MIBG) showed tracer uptake in adrenal and thyroid-confirming phaeochromocytoma and medullary thyroid carcinoma. This case exemplifies the late presentation of multiple endocrine neoplasia 2B and emphasises the need to screen all cases of medullary thyroid carcinoma for phaeochromocytoma.

Medullary thyroid carcinoma: the influence of policy changing in clinical characteristics and disease progression

OBJECTIVE

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) has varying clinical course. We assessed trends in MTC presentation during the last 34 years.

DESIGN

Retrospective study.

METHODS

One hundred and fifty one patients (44.4% males) were followed for 0.934 years. Patients were classified according to year of diagnosis: group 1, 1977-2000 (n=53) and group 2, 2001-2011 (n=98). Extent of disease at diagnosis, during follow-up, number of surgeries, and pre- and postoperative calcitonin levels were recorded.

RESULTS

In total, 48.34% reported family history of MTC. Group 1 had larger tumors (median 1.70 (intraquartile range (IQR) 1.7) vs 1.1 (1.2) cm, P=0.045, Mann-Whitney), they presented less frequently micro-MTCs (27.8 vs 46.1%, P=0.045), and underwent more multiple surgeries (63.3 vs 20.0%, P<0.001). Group 1 had more frequently progressive disease (35.8 vs 12.2%, P=0.003) and distant metastasis at follow-up (39.7 vs 17.4%, P=0.017). Chronological group (HR 0.15, 95% CI 0.03-0.68, P=0.015) and distant metastases at follow-up (HR 0.07, 95% CI 0.015-0.30, P=0.001) were independently associated with 10-year disease progression (P<0.001). In sporadic cases, cervical lymph node invasion and distant metastases at diagnosis were more frequent in group 1 (72.7 vs 45.5%, P=0.032 and 27.3 vs 5%, P=0.019 respectively); disease stage at diagnosis was more advanced (P=0.004). They underwent more multiple surgeries (P<0.001), presented more frequently distant metastasis at follow-up (67.7 vs 20.0%, P=0.002), had less frequently remission, and more frequently progressive disease (21.4 vs 58.0% and 64.3 vs 14.0% respectively, P<0.001). Postoperative calcitonin levels were higher (P=0.024).

CONCLUSIONS

Recently, an increase in micro-MTCs is observed, while indices of invasiveness and persistence of disease are better. Increased awareness in familial cases, routine calcitonin measurements, and improved surgical procedures could be responsible.

Validity of 6(th) edition of UICC TNM classification system for medullary thyroid carcinoma: a proposal for intraoperative evaluation of T category

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) accounts for 1.4% of all thyroid malignancies in Japan. Here, we studied the validity of a staging system evaluated preoperatively (Stage), intraoperatively (intra-Stage), and pathologically (pStage) based on the 6(th) and 7(th) UICC TNM classifications. One hundred and nineteen MTC patients who did not show distant metastasis at diagnosis and underwent locally curative surgery were enrolled in this study (average follow-up period: 173.4 months). Twenty-year clinical (not biochemical) disease-free survival (DFS) rates of Stage I, II, III, and IVA patients based on the 6(th) edition were 100, 88.2, 66.8, and 38.9%, respectively. DFS of Stage IVA patients was significantly poorer than that of Stage III patients (p = 0.03137). However, using the 7(th) edition, only 1 patient was classified with Stage III. Intra-Stage III patients based on the 6th edition showed a significantly poorer DFS (20-year DFS 50.0%) than intra-Stage II patients (92.9%) (p = 0.02668), and DFS of intra-Stage IVA patients (38.9%) tended to be poorer than that of intra-Stage III patients (p = 0.05439). Only one patient was classified with intra-Stage III using the 7(th) edition. In pStage, as many as 56 patients (47.1%) were classified with pStage IVA employing both editions. Taken together, Stage and intra-Stage were more useful to accurately discriminate high-risk patients than pStage, and their 6(th) editions were better than 7(th) editions. Although the number of patients was small, our data showed the possibility that intra-Stage in the 6(th) edition was the best staging system for MTC patients.

Role of RET codonic mutations in the surgical management of medullary thyroid carcinoma in pediatric age multiple endocrine neoplasm type 2 syndromes

PURPOSE

Hereditary medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) therapy is surgical resection. Because the genetic screening was available, the early diagnosis of the disease has been possible. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of the genetic test in the management of these children and to draw some information about the surgical timing.

METHODS

Thirteen patients underwent total thyroidectomy at our institute between 1995 and 2007. Seven patients underwent a curative thyroidectomy, and 6 patients underwent a prophylactic thyroidectomy. Two patients were operated with a minimally invasive video-assisted technique. We studied the following parameters: age, risk level associated to the RET gene mutations, aim of surgery (curative or prophylactic), tumor histopathologic features, lymph node involvement, and distal metastases.

RESULTS

We found a statistical association between cancer maximum diameter and some parameters analyzed: age of patients, aim of surgery, single or multifocal MTC, and number of organs involved by distal metastases. Cancer diameter at the moment of diagnosis seems to increase according to the aggressiveness of RET gene mutation found.

CONCLUSIONS

The best strategy to cure MTC is to prevent it. Genetic screening could be a fundamental tool in the management of multiple endocrine neoplasm type 2 children. An improvement of scientific knowledge regarding RET gene alterations and an early and appropriate use of genetic tests could allow a better understanding of the correct surgical timing and a wider use of less aggressive surgical procedures.

Mutational spectrum of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 and sporadic medullary thyroid carcinoma in taiwan

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN 2) is an autosomal dominant cancer predisposition syndrome, and > 95% of MEN 2 patients carry rearranged during transfection (RET) protooncogene mutants. We aimed to elucidate the genotype and phenotype relationship of RET proto-oncogene mutations in Taiwanese subjects with medullary thyroid cancer (MTC).

METHODS

We genotyped the MEN-2-associated germ-line mutations by PCR-based sequencing of the RET gene. DNA was extracted from a total of 69 members from eight unrelated families with individuals affected by MTC, and from seven sporadic cases of MTC.

RESULTS

RET mutations were found in four MEN 2A families, all at codon 634 (one with C>R, two with C>F, and one with C>W). One MEN 2A patient carried a de novo mutation at codon 634 (C>R). In two families of MEN 2B, all carried the mutation at codon 918 (M>T). These two cases of MEN 2B were all de novo mutations. One family of familial MTC or unclassified MEN 2 carried the codon 620 (C>F) mutation. Among the seven sporadic cases of MTC, none was found to carry any mutation in hotspot exons. Only two non-synonymous variants (T278N/exon 4 and D489N/exon 7) were found in two cases. However, these two variants were not uncommon in our elderly population.

CONCLUSION

We found that all eight MTC patients with a family history or with the other phenotypes of MEN 2 had RET mutations, whereas no significant RET mutation was found in seven patients with isolated MTC without family history and other endocrine diseases. Molecular scanning of the RET gene in MEN 2 and MTC in Taiwanese patients probably should be limited to exons 10, 11 and 16, initially to be cost-effective.

Alternative surgical strategies and favorable outcomes in patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma in Japan: experience of a single institution

BACKGROUND

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) accounts only for 1.4% of all thyroid malignancies in Japan. Since 1996, we have performed hemithyroidectomy, instead of total thyroidectomy, for sporadic nonhereditary MTC when the primary lesion is located in only one lobe. Regarding lymph node dissection, modified radical neck dissection (MND) at least ipsilateral to the tumor has been routinely performed, even if there is no clinically apparent metastasis. We investigated the clinical outcomes of MTC patients in our department.

METHODS

A series of 118 patients with MTC who underwent initial surgery between 1975 and 2005 were enrolled in this study. The RET gene mutations were analyzed for all patients and 46 had germline RET gene mutations. Of those 46 patients, 26 were diagnosed as MEN 2A and 2 were diagnosed as MEN 2B. Postoperative follow-up periods averaged 141 months.

RESULTS

Of 115 patients who did not have distant metastasis at surgery and who underwent locally curative surgery, 78 (67.8%) were biochemically cured. All patients without pathological lymph node metastasis were biochemically cured, and 44.8% of patients with node metastasis were also biochemically cured. The 10-year and 20-year disease-free survival rates were 89.0% and 82.5%, respectively. None of the patients who did not show lymph node metastasis and only 2 (2.6%) of 78 patients who were biochemically cured showed clinically apparent carcinoma recurrence. The 10-year and 20-year cause-specific survival rates were 96.6% and 91.7%, respectively. Lymph node metastasis, tumor size>4 cm, extrathyroid and extranodal tumor extensions significantly affected cause-specific survival of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical outcomes of MTC patients in our series were better than those in Western countries, a result that might have resulted in part because of our routine MND regardless of whether clinically apparent node metastasis was detected.

Expression of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP-2) in medullary thyroid carcinoma: prognostic implications

BACKGROUND

Metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP-2) participate in the degeneration of the extracellular matrix and are associated with carcinogenesis. MMP-2 is one of the main metalloproteinases active in neoplasia and is a marker of the malignant phenotype. Since the biological behavior of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) varies widely, the present study was undertaken to determine if there is a correlation between the clinical evolution of MTC and the immunohistochemically detected expression of these enzymes in thyroid surgical specimens containing MTC. If so, their expression would be a novel indicator of the prognosis of MTC.

METHODS

Thirty-seven patients with MTC who had undergone thyroid surgery were followed for an average of 73 months. Immunohistochemical staining for metalloproteinase-related enzymes was performed in surgical paraffin blocks. The clinical status of the patients after surgery and at the end of the study period was characterized to determine correlations between these and the immunohistochemical markers. A value of p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

At the end of the study period, 15 patients (40.5%) were alive and without evidence of MTC, 17 (45.9%) had persistent MTC, and 5 (13.5%) had a relapse of their neoplasia. Four patients (10.8%) died during the course of the study. There was a significant correlation (p = 0.0005) between the immunohistochemical staining for MMP-2 and the clinical condition of the patients at the end of the study period, and a correlation between the state of apparent cure compared to persistence of MTC after thyroid surgery (p = 0.0207). No significant correlations were observed between either TIMP-2 expression or immune marking of metastatic lymph nodes and the clinical variables studied.

CONCLUSION

Immunohistochemical expression of MMP-2 in thyroid surgical specimens from patients with MTC is a novel indicator of the prognosis of this cancer.

Screening of RET gene mutations in multiple endocrine neoplasia type-2 using Conformation Sensitive Gel Electrophoresis (CSGE)

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2) is an autosomal dominant inherited tumor syndrome caused by RET proto-oncogene germline mutations (RET). Here we tested the Conformation Sensitive Gel Electrophoresis (CSGE) as a screening method for RET hot-spot mutations. Seven MEN2 families were studied by direct sequencing analysis, CSGE and Single Strand Conformational Polymorphism (SSCP). Using CSGE/SSCP, we were able to detect four out of five types of RET mutations verified by sequencing analysis: Cys620Arg, Cys634Arg, Cys634Tyr, and Met918Thr, furthermore a missense substitution at codon 648 (Val648Ile). RET polymorphisms 691 and 769 were also verified. Data obtained using CSGE/SSCP were fully concordant. We conclude that CSGE showed to be a sensitive, fast, low-cost, and simple procedure to detect RET mutations in codons which are reported as the most prevalent RET variants (~ 95%) in large MEN2 series. As to the Val804Met mutation, this method still needs to be optimized.

Prognosis of medullary thyroid carcinoma: demographic, clinical, and pathologic predictors of survival in 1252 cases

BACKGROUND

Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is a rare cancer. There is a relative paucity of data over the last decade with regard to the prognosis of these patients. Therefore, the authors used the population-based Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry to update what to their knowledge is one of the largest series of patients with MTC reported to date.

METHODS

All patients with a diagnosis of MTC with active follow-up in the SEER database from 1973 to 2002 were included. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to assess the associations between demographic, clinical, and pathologic characteristics of patients and survival.

RESULTS

A total of 1252 patients with MTC were identified over 29 years of follow-up. In all, 87% of patients were white and 60% were female, with a mean age of 50 years. Although many variables were significant on univariate analysis, SEER stage and age at diagnosis were found to be the strongest predictors of survival in the multivariate analysis. Prognosis was poor in patients with advanced disease (hazards ratio [HR], 4.47), or those age >65 years (HR, 6.55). Patients who underwent surgery fared better than those who did not. Overall, 51% of patients had less than the currently recommended treatment guidelines for MTC. Adjuvant radiation therapy was found to be independently associated with a decreased survival (HR, 1.65).

CONCLUSIONS

Stage of disease and age at diagnosis were found to be the strongest predictors of survival for patients with MTC. To the authors' knowledge there has been no change in stage at diagnosis or a significant improvement in survival noted over the last 30 years. Many patients underwent surgery that was deemed less than optimal for stage of disease.

De novo multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B with noncardiogenic pulmonary edema as the presenting symptom

Multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 2B is a rare hereditary disorder characterized by medullary thyroid carcinoma, pheochromocytoma, and neuroma. Early signs of MEN 2B are usually neuroma, gastrointestinal problems, and medullary thyroid carcinoma. Noncardiogenic pulmonary edema is rare as a presenting symptom. We report a 31-year-old male who was admitted to our hospital because of noncardiogenic pulmonary edema. He was 168 cm in height, weighed 55 kg, and had an arm span of 166 cm. No marfanoid habitus was evident, but thickened lips and tongue neuroma were present. Chronic constipation had been present since childhood, and the patient had a two-year history of untreated hypertension. Noncardiogenic pulmonary edema and toxic megacolon were noted, and abdominal computed tomography revealed bilateral adrenal tumors. Ultrasonography of the thyroid showed two mass lesions. Intubation and mechanical ventilation were performed because of severe hypoxemia. Endocrinological examinations showed high levels of serum and urinary fractionated catecholamines, serum calcitonin, serum carcinoembryonic antigen, and serum intact parathyroid hormone. It was suggested that the high level of catecholamine from pheochromocytoma had caused the pulmonary edema. RET gene analysis showed a codon 918 mutation in exon 16 resulting in an ATG (methionine) to ACG (threonine) substitution, but analysis of the patient's parents showed the wild type. Therefore, the patient was diagnosed as having de novo MEN 2B. He underwent laparoscopic bilateral adrenectomy and total thyroidectomy. However, the values of serum calcitonin and CEA did not decrease to the normal ranges. Patients with early-stage MEN 2B have distinct characteristics that can aid early detection of the disease, thus possibly allowing them to be saved.

Current status of clinical care for familial endocrine tumor syndromes in Japan

We performed nationwide questionnaire-based surveys to characterize the current status of medical services for endocrine tumor syndromes, such as multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) and von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL), in Japan. About 30% of the respondents had seen patients with either MEN or VHL, but the number of patients most of respondents had encountered was 5 or fewer. On the other hand, a large number of patients had been seen in a few hospitals, which seemed to be the result of the availability of specialists, rather than of geographic location. Although nearly 90% of hospitals had performed genetic tests, less than half of the hospitals had a clinical genetics division that provided genetic counseling to patients and/or family members. Not all of the respondents were thoroughly familiar with the "Guidelines for genetic testing" proposed by the consortium of Japanese genetic-medicine-related societies in 2003. Only 27.8% of respondents have read the guidelines and understood their concepts.