Background: All patients diagnosed with medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) should undergo RET mutation analysis to exclude familial disease - multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN)-2A and -2B and familial medullary thyroid carcinoma (FMTC). In young patients at risk of genetically determined MTC, the key to a good outcome is an appropriate first operation, and this will depend upon the codon mutation, patient age, calcitonin level and disease extent at presentation. When MTC has already developed, a therapeutic intervention is required.
Conclusions: The thyroid, pituitary, adrenal, parathyroid and pancreatic components of MEN-1 and -2 require close collaboration of a specialist and experienced multidisciplinary team.