The Genetics of Endocrine Neoplasia

The hereditary endocrine neoplasias are a group of inherited disorders in which both benign and malignant tumors of various endocrine tissues occur at a relatively high frequency. Endocrine neoplasias can occur outside of the context of a hereditary cancer syndrome and range in incidence from quite common (e.g. parathyroid adenomas) to quite rare (e.g. pancreatic insulinoma). Hereditary endocrine neoplasias are characterized by the development of benign or malignant tumors in more than one endocrine tissue, multi-focal and/or bilateral tumors, and have an earlier age of onset than their sporadic counterparts.
Source: Current Problems in Cancer - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Source Type: research