Actionability Assertions

Gene Condition (MONDO ID) OMIM ID Final Assertion
No assertions found.

Actionability Assertion Rationale

  • This topic was initially scored prior to development of the process for making actionability assertions. The Actionability Working Group decided to defer making an assertion until after the topic could be reviewed through the update process.

Actionability Scores

Outcome / Intervention Pair Severity Likelihood Effectiveness Nature of Intervention Total Score
No scores were found.

Prevalence of the Genetic Condition

Altogether multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2) subtypes (MEN2A, MEN2B, and familial medullary thyroid cancer or FMTC) affect 1/30,000 to 1/35,000 individuals. MEN2B constitutes roughly 5% of MEN2 cases. However, the prevalence of MEN2B specifically is unknown.
View Citations

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B. Orphanet encyclopedia, ORPHA: 247709., Kloos RT, et al. (2009) PMID: 19469690, Niederle B, et al. (2014) PMID: 24297502

Clinical Features (Signs / symptoms)

MEN2B is associated with an increased risk for medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) and pheochromocytoma (PHEO). In contrast to MEN2A, MEN2B is not associated with an increased risk for hyperparathyroidism. MEN2B is also associated with developmental features including mucosal neuromas, distinctive facies with enlarged lips, ganglioneuromatosis of the gastrointestinal tract, and marfanoid body habitus.
View Citations

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B. Orphanet encyclopedia, ORPHA: 247709., Kloos RT, et al. (2009) PMID: 19469690, Niederle B, et al. (2014) PMID: 24297502, Brandi ML, et al. (2001) PMID: 11739416, F Giusti, et al. (2005) NCBI: NBK1538

Natural History (Important subgroups & survival / recovery)

MTC in individuals with MEN2 typically presents at a younger age than sporadic MTC and is more often associated with C-cell hyperplasia as well as multifocality or bilaterality. In MEN2B, all individuals will develop an aggressive form of MTC at an early age, typically during infancy or early childhood. Individuals with MEN2B who do not undergo thyroidectomy prior to age 1 will develop metastatic MTC at an early age. Without thyroidectomy, the average age of death for those with MEN2B is age 21. PHEOs occur in only 50% of individuals, but 50% of those are multiple and often bilateral. MEN2B, individuals may be identified in infancy or early childhood by the presence of mucosal neuromas and a distinctive facial appearance.
View Citations

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B. Orphanet encyclopedia, ORPHA: 247709., Kloos RT, et al. (2009) PMID: 19469690, Niederle B, et al. (2014) PMID: 24297502, Brandi ML, et al. (2001) PMID: 11739416, F Giusti, et al. (2005) NCBI: NBK1538

Description of sources of evidence:

Tier 1: Evidence from a systematic review or a meta-analysis or clinical practice guideline clearly based on a systematic review.
Tier 2: Evidence from clinical practice guidelines or broad-based expert consensus with non-systematic evidence review.
Tier 3: Evidence from another source with non-systematic review of evidence with primary literature cited.
Tier 4: Evidence from another source with non-systematic review of evidence with no citations to primary data sources.
Tier 5: Evidence from a non-systematically identified source.

Mode of Inheritance

Autosomal Dominant
View Citations

F Giusti, et al. (2005) NCBI: NBK1538

Prevalence of Genetic Variants

Unknown
RET mutations are identified in at least 98% of MEN2B cases. Information on the frequency of RET mutations associated with MEN2B was not available.
Tier 3 View Citations

F Giusti, et al. (2005) NCBI: NBK1538

Penetrance (Includes any high-risk racial or ethnic subgroups)

>= 40 %
The frequencies of associated outcomes are: 100% MTC, 50-60% PHEO, 100% neuromas, 60% megacolon, and 60-80% marfanoid habitus. PHPT is rare.
Tier 3 View Citations

Kloos RT, et al. (2009) PMID: 19469690, Niederle B, et al. (2014) PMID: 24297502, F Giusti, et al. (2005) NCBI: NBK1538

>= 40 %
Penetrance of MTC: 100%
Tier 3 View Citations

Kloos RT, et al. (2009) PMID: 19469690, Niederle B, et al. (2014) PMID: 24297502, F Giusti, et al. (2005) NCBI: NBK1538

>= 40 %
Penetrance of PHEO: 50-60%
Tier 3 View Citations

Kloos RT, et al. (2009) PMID: 19469690, Niederle B, et al. (2014) PMID: 24297502, F Giusti, et al. (2005) NCBI: NBK1538

Relative Risk (Includes any high-risk racial or ethnic subgroups)

Unknown
Information regarding relative risk was not available.

Expressivity

Patients carrying the same mutation may show a heterogeneous progression of disease. Even within the same family, the natural course of disease may vary.
Tier 2 View Citations

Niederle B, et al. (2014) PMID: 24297502

Description of sources of evidence:

Tier 1: Evidence from a systematic review or a meta-analysis or clinical practice guideline clearly based on a systematic review.
Tier 2: Evidence from clinical practice guidelines or broad-based expert consensus with non-systematic evidence review.
Tier 3: Evidence from another source with non-systematic review of evidence with primary literature cited.
Tier 4: Evidence from another source with non-systematic review of evidence with no citations to primary data sources.
Tier 5: Evidence from a non-systematically identified source.

Patient Management

All patients with MEN2 should undergo prophylactic thyroidectomy. The recommended timing of surgery is based on a classification system of RET codon mutations and other indicators of risk for aggressive MTC. RET mutations associated with MEN2B are classified as "highest risk" and are recommended to undergo thyroidectomy in the first year of life. The goal of early prophylactic thyroidectomy is to intervene before metastasis, which is associated with a low cure rate. Evidence for the effectiveness of this intervention among MEN2B patients specifically was not provided. In 2 follow-up studies of MEN2 patients who had undergone thyroidectomy, there were no signs of MTC in 41/46 MEN2A/FMTC patients after an average period of 7 years and in 44/50 MEN2A patients after 10 years, showing that detection and intervention of MTC can significantly alter associated morbidity.
Tier 1 View Citations

Kloos RT, et al. (2009) PMID: 19469690, Wells SA Jr, et al. (2015) PMID: 25810047

Surveillance

PHEO surveillance should include annual plasma free metanephrines and normetanephrines or 24-hour urine collection for metanephrines and normetanephrines. Based on typical age of PHEO onset, surveillance is recommended to begin at age 11 for MEN2B.
Tier 2 View Citations

Kloos RT, et al. (2009) PMID: 19469690, Wells SA Jr, et al. (2015) PMID: 25810047

Because of the high risk to the fetus and mother, the presence of a PHEO must be excluded in women with MEN2B who are planning a pregnancy or are pregnant.
Tier 2 View Citations

Kloos RT, et al. (2009) PMID: 19469690, Wells SA Jr, et al. (2015) PMID: 25810047

Circumstances to Avoid

Use of liraglutide or similar drugs for diabetes is contraindicated in patients with MEN2. Testing in animal studies has been associated with the development of thyroid C-cell tumors, although the relevance in humans is unknown.
Tier 2 View Citations

(2010) URL: www.guideline.gov., (2012) URL: www.icsi.org.

Description of sources of evidence:

Tier 1: Evidence from a systematic review or a meta-analysis or clinical practice guideline clearly based on a systematic review.
Tier 2: Evidence from clinical practice guidelines or broad-based expert consensus with non-systematic evidence review.
Tier 3: Evidence from another source with non-systematic review of evidence with primary literature cited.
Tier 4: Evidence from another source with non-systematic review of evidence with no citations to primary data sources.
Tier 5: Evidence from a non-systematically identified source.

Nature of Intervention

The recommendations included in this report include prophylactic thyroidectomy, an invasive surgery associated with potential risk, as well as regular biochemical screening which could be burdensome.
Context: Adult

Chance to Escape Clinical Detection

MTC in individuals with MEN2B is more aggressive and presents at a much earlier age than sporadic MTC and would be highly likely to escape clinical detection in the setting of recommended clinical care.
Context: Adult
Tier 3 View Citations

F Giusti, et al. (2005) NCBI: NBK1538

Description of sources of evidence:

Tier 1: Evidence from a systematic review or a meta-analysis or clinical practice guideline clearly based on a systematic review.
Tier 2: Evidence from clinical practice guidelines or broad-based expert consensus with non-systematic evidence review.
Tier 3: Evidence from another source with non-systematic review of evidence with primary literature cited.
Tier 4: Evidence from another source with non-systematic review of evidence with no citations to primary data sources.
Tier 5: Evidence from a non-systematically identified source.
Gene Condition Associations
OMIM Identifier Primary MONDO Identifier Additional MONDO Identifiers

References List

Brandi ML, Gagel RF, Angeli A, Bilezikian JP, Beck-Peccoz P, Bordi C, Conte-Devolx B, Falchetti A, Gheri RG, Libroia A, Lips CJ, Lombardi G, Mannelli M, Pacini F, Ponder BA, Raue F, Skogseid B, Tamburrano G, Thakker RV, Thompson NW, Tomassetti P, Tonelli F, Wells SA Jr, Marx SJ. (2001) Guidelines for diagnosis and therapy of MEN type 1 and type 2. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism. 86(12):5658-71.

Diagnosis and management of type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults. Bloomington (MN) Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI). Other (2012) URL: https://www.icsi.org/_asset/3rrm36/Diabetes.pdf

F Giusti, F Marini, ML Brandi. Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1. (2005) [Updated Feb 12 2015]. In: RA Pagon, MP Adam, HH Ardinger, et al., editors. GeneReviews® [Internet]. Seattle (WA): University of Washington, Seattle; 1993-2026. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1538/

Kloos RT, Eng C, Evans DB, Francis GL, Gagel RF, Gharib H, Moley JF, Pacini F, Ringel MD, Schlumberger M, Wells SA Jr. (2009) Medullary thyroid cancer: management guidelines of the American Thyroid Association. Thyroid : official journal of the American Thyroid Association. 19(6):565-612.

Medical Services Commission. Diabetes care. Victoria (BC) British Columbia Services Commission. Other (2010) URL: https://www.guideline.gov/content.aspx?id=38898

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B. Orphanet encyclopedia, http://www.orpha.net/consor/cgi-bin/OC_Exp.php?lng=en&Expert=247709

Niederle B, Sebag F, Brauckhoff M. (2014) Timing and extent of thyroid surgery for gene carriers of hereditary C cell disease--a consensus statement of the European Society of Endocrine Surgeons (ESES). Langenbeck's archives of surgery / Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Chirurgie. 399(2):185-97.

Wells SA Jr, Asa SL, Dralle H, Elisei R, Evans DB, Gagel RF, Lee N, Machens A, Moley JF, Pacini F, Raue F, Frank-Raue K, Robinson B, Rosenthal MS, Santoro M, Schlumberger M, Shah M, Waguespack SG. (2015) Revised American Thyroid Association guidelines for the management of medullary thyroid carcinoma. Thyroid : official journal of the American Thyroid Association. 25(6):567-610.

Early Rule-Out Summary

This topic did not pass the early rule out stage due to insufficient evidence for actionability. However, the Actionability Working Group discussed and granted an exception to move this topic forward for a full evidence curation and summary report.

Findings of Early Rule-Out Assessment

  1. Is there a qualifying resource, such as a practice guideline or systematic review, for the genetic condition?
  2. Does the practice guideline or systematic review indicate that the result is actionable in one or more of the following ways?
  3. a. Patient Management

    b. Surveillance or Screening

    c. Circumstances to Avoid

  4. Is it actionable in an undiagnosed adult with the condition?
  5. Is this condition an important health problem?
  6. Is there at least on known pathogenic variant with at least moderate penetrance (≥40%) or moderate relative risk (≥2) in any population?