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Purpose: Patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) are predisposed to develop duodenopancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (dpNETs), and metastatic dpNET is the primary cause of disease-related mortality. Presently, there is a paucity of prognostic factors that can reliably identify patients with MEN1-related dpNETS who are at high risk of distant metastasis. In the current study, we aimed to establish novel circulating molecular protein signatures associated with disease progression., Experimental Design: Mass spectrometry-based proteomic profiling was conducted on plasmas procured through an international collaboration between MD Anderson Cancer Center, the National Institutes of Health, and the University Medical Center Utrecht from a cohort of 56 patients with MEN1 [14 with distant metastasis dpNETs (cases) and 42 with either indolent dpNETs or no dpNETs (controls)]. Findings were compared to proteomic profiles generated from serially collected plasmas from a mouse model of Men1-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (Men1fl/flPdx1-CreTg) and control mice (Men1fl/fl)., Results: A total of 187 proteins were found to be elevated in MEN1 patients with distant metastasis compared to controls, including 9 proteins previously associated with pancreatic cancer and other neuronal proteins. Analyses of mouse plasmas revealed 196 proteins enriched for transcriptional targets of oncogenic MYCN, YAP1, POU5F1, and SMAD that were associated with disease progression in Men1fl/flPdx1-CreTg mice. Cross-species intersection revealed 19 proteins positively associated with disease progression in both human patients and in Men1fl/flPdx1-CreTg mice., Conclusions: Our integrated analyses identified novel circulating protein markers associated with disease progression in MEN1-related dpNET., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Context: Nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NF-pNETs) are highly prevalent and constitute an important cause of mortality in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1). Still, the optimal age to initiate screening for pNETs is under debate., Objective: The aim of this work is to assess the age of occurrence of clinically relevant NF-pNETs in young MEN1 patients., Methods: Pancreatic imaging data of MEN1 patients were retrieved from the DutchMEN Study Group database. Interval-censored survival methods were used to describe age-related penetrance, compare survival curves, and develop a parametric model for estimating the risk of having clinically relevant NF-pNET at various ages. The primary objective was to assess age at occurrence of clinically relevant NF-pNET (size ≥ 20 mm or rapid growth); secondary objectives were the age at occurrence of NF-pNET of any size and pNET-associated metastasized disease., Results: Five of 350 patients developed clinically relevant NF-pNETs before age 18 years, 2 of whom subsequently developed lymph node metastases. No differences in clinically relevant NF-pNET-free survival were found for sex, time frame, and type of MEN1 diagnosis or genotype. The estimated ages (median, 95% CI) at a 1%, 2.5%, and 5% risk of having developed a clinically relevant tumor are 9.5 (6.5-12.7), 13.5 (10.2-16.9), and 17.8 years (14.3-21.4), respectively., Conclusion: Analyses from this population-based cohort indicate that start of surveillance for NF-pNETs with pancreatic imaging at age 13 to 14 years is justified. The psychological and medical burden of screening at a young age should be considered., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society.)

Context: Duodenopancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (dpNETs) frequently occur in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1), and metastatic dpNET is the primary cause of disease-related mortality. There is a need for biomarkers that can identify patients with MEN1-related dpNETs that are at high risk of developing distant metastasis. Polyamines have tumor-promoting roles in several cancer types., Objective: We hypothesized that MEN1-dpNET-related disease progression is associated with elevated levels of circulating polyamines., Methods: Through an international collaboration between The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, the National Institutes of Health, and the University Medical Center Utrecht, plasma polyamine levels were assessed using mass spectrometry in 84 patients with MEN1 (20 with distant metastatic dpNETs [patients] and 64 with either indolent dpNETs or no dpNETs [controls]). A mouse model of MEN1-pNET, Men1fl/flPdx1-CreTg, was used to test time-dependent changes in plasma polyamines associated with disease progression., Results: A 3-marker plasma polyamine signature (3MP: N-acetylputrescine, acetylspermidine, and diacetylspermidine) distinguished patients with metastatic dpNETs from controls in an initial set of plasmas from the 3 participating centers. The fixed 3MP yielded an area under the curve of 0.84 (95% CI, 0.62-1.00) with 66.7% sensitivity at 95% specificity for distinguishing patients from controls in an independent test set from MDACC. In Men1fl/flPdx1-CreTg mice, the 3MP was elevated early and remained high during disease progression., Conclusion: Our findings provide a basis for prospective testing of blood-based polyamines as a potential means for monitoring patients with MEN1 for harboring or developing aggressive disease., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Introduction: Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1)-related neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of the lung are mostly indolent, with a good prognosis. Nevertheless, cases of aggressive lung NET do occur, and therefore the management of individual patients is challenging., Aim: To assess tumor growth and the survival of patients with MEN1-related lung NETs at long-term follow-up., Methods: The population-based Dutch MEN1 Study Group database (n = 446) was used to identify lung NETs by histopathological and radiological examinations. Tumor diameter was assessed. Linear mixed models and the Kaplan-Meier method were used for analyzing tumor growth and survival. Molecular analyses were performed on a lung NET showing particularly aggressive behavior., Results: In 102 patients (22.9% of the total MEN1 cohort), 164 lesions suspected of lung NETs were identified and followed for a median of 6.6 years. Tumor diameter increased 6.0% per year. The overall 15-year survival rate was 78.0% (95% confidence interval: 64.6-94.2%) without lung NET-related death. No prognostic factors for tumor growth or survival could be identified. A somatic c.3127A > G (p.Met1043Val) PIK3CA driver mutation was found in a case of rapid growing lung NET after 6 years of indolent disease, presumably explaining the sudden change in course., Conclusion: MEN1-related lung NETs are slow growing and have a good prognosis. No accurate risk factors for tumor growth could be identified. Lung NET screening should therefore be based on well-informed, shared decision-making, balancing between the low absolute risk of an aggressive tumor in individuals and the potential harms of frequent thoracic imaging., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Context: Current guidelines do not consistently recommend imaging beyond the head and neck region in succinate dehydrogenase subunit D (SDHD) mutation carriers as long as catecholamine metabolite levels are within the reference range., Participants: We report a series of 10 patients carrying pathogenic variants in the SDHD gene from five tertiary referral centers for paraganglioma (PGL) in the Netherlands, who presented with a sympathetic PGL (sPGL), pheochromocytoma (PHEO), or metastases outside the head and neck region in the absence of excessive catecholamine production. Two of six patients with a biochemically silent sPGL/PHEO developed metastatic disease. Additionally, four patients were found to have metastases outside the head and neck region from head and neck PGL. The average interval between the initial diagnosis and discovery of the silent lesions was 10 (range, 0 to 32) years., Conclusions: The absence of excessive catecholamine production does not exclude the presence of manifestations of SDHD outside the head and neck region. These findings suggest that a more extensive imaging strategy in SDHD mutation carriers may be warranted for detection of biochemically silent lesions., (Copyright © 2019 Endocrine Society.)

Objective: Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is a hereditary disease characterized by a high risk of developing primary hyperparathyroidism, duodenopancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, and pituitary tumors (PITs). It is unclear if having MEN1 leads to psychological distress because of fear of disease occurrence (FDO), thereby potentially affecting quality of life., Design: A cross-sectional study was performed using the Dutch MEN1 cohort. All patients received the Cancer Worry Scale (a score ≥14 reflects high FDO), the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), and questions on sociodemographic and medical history., Results: A total of 227 of 285 (80%) eligible patients with MEN1 completed the questionnaire. The mean (± standard deviation) age was 47 ± 15 years. Overall, patients experienced an FDO of 15.1 ± 4.7, with 58% of patients having a score ≥14. This is higher than reported in previous studies assessing fear of cancer recurrence in different cancer populations (31% to 52%). Adjusted for age and sex, the FDO score was negatively associated with almost all SF-36 subscales. In multivariable analysis, the diagnosis of a PIT, a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, and not being employed were associated with FDO (P < 0.05). Patients had higher FDO scores for their family members than for themselves., Conclusion: The majority of patients with MEN1 have FDO for themselves and even more for their relatives. This psychological distress is associated with a lower health-related quality of life. Therefore, in the medical care for MEN1, emphasis should also be placed on FDO and quality of life.

Background: Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) are highly prevalent in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1), and metastatic disease is an important cause of MEN1-related mortality. Especially small nonfunctional (NF) pNETs pose a challenge to the treating physician and more information is needed regarding their natural course. We assessed long-term natural history of small NF-pNETs and its modifiers in the Dutch MEN1 population., Patients and Methods: Retrospective longitudinal observational cohort study of patients with small (<2 cm) NF-pNETs from the Dutch national MEN1 database, which includes >90% of the Dutch MEN1 population. Modifiers of long-term natural course were analyzed using linear mixed-models analysis., Results: Growth rate of the 115 included small NF-pNETs from 99 patients was slow (0.4 mm/y; 95% confidence interval, 0.15 to 0.59). Seventy percent of the tumors was stable and a subgroup of 30% of the tumors was growing (1.6 mm/y; 95% confidence interval, 1.1 to 2.0). No differences in clinical characteristics were identified between growing and stable tumors. Within the subgroup of growing tumors, germline missense mutations were significantly associated with accelerated growth compared with nonsense and frameshift mutations., Conclusion: The majority of small NF-pNETs are stable at long-term follow-up, irrespective of the underlying MEN1 genotype. A subgroup of tumors is slowly growing but cannot be identified on clinical grounds. In this subgroup, tumors with missense mutations exhibited faster growth. Additional events appear necessary for pNETs to progress. Future studies should be aimed at identifying these molecular driving events, which could be used as potential biomarkers., (Copyright © 2017 Endocrine Society)

Objective: Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is associated with an early-onset elevated breast cancer risk. This finding potentially has implications for breast cancer screening for women with MEN1, and therefore it is necessary to assess whether other risk factors are involved to identify those at greatest risk., Design: A cross-sectional case control study was performed using the Dutch MEN1 cohort, including >90% of the adult Dutch MEN1 population. All women with a confirmed MEN1 mutation received a questionnaire regarding cancer family history and breast cancer-related endocrine and general cancer risk factors., Results: A total of 138 of 165 (84%) eligible women with MEN1 completed the questionnaire. Eleven of the 138 women had breast cancer. Another 34 relatives with breast cancer were identified in the families of the included women, of whom 11 were obligate MEN1 carriers, 14 had no MEN1 mutation, and 9 had an unknown MEN1 status. The median age at breast cancer diagnosis of women with MEN1 (n = 22) was 45 years (range, 30 to 80 years), in comparison with 57.5 years (range, 40 to 85 years) in female relatives without MEN1 (n = 14; P = 0.03) and 61.2 years in the Dutch reference population. Known endocrine risk factors and general risk factors were not different for women with and without breast cancer., Conclusion: The increased breast cancer risk in MEN1 carriers was not related to other known breast cancer risk factors or familial cancer history, and therefore breast cancer surveillance from the age of 40 years for all women with MEN1 is justifiable., (Copyright © 2017 Endocrine Society)

Objective: Identifying a germline mutation in the multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) gene in an index case has consequences for a whole family. Eligible family members should be offered genetic counseling and MEN1 mutation testing. Subsequently, clinical screening of mutation carriers according to the guidelines should be initiated. We assessed whether there is a lag time from MEN1 diagnosis of the index case to MEN1 diagnosis of family members. In addition, we determined whether this lag time was associated with an increased morbidity and mortality risk., Design: A cohort study was performed using the Dutch MEN1 database, including >90% of the Dutch MEN1 population >16 years of age (n = 393)., Results: Fifty-eight MEN1 families were identified, of whom 57 were index cases and 247 were non-index cases (n = 304). The median lag time in MEN1 diagnosis of family members was 3.5 (range, 0-30) years. At the time of MEN1 diagnosis, 30 (12.1%) non-index cases had a duodenopancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, of whom 20% had metastases with a mean lag time of 10.9 years, in comparison with 7.1 years without metastases. Twenty-five (10.1%) non-index cases had a pituitary tumor, of whom 80% had a microadenoma and 20% had a macroadenoma, with mean lag times of 7.2 and 10.6 years, respectively. Ninety-five (38.4%) non-index cases had a primary hyperparathyroidism with a mean lag time of 9.5 years in comparison with seven patients without a primary hyperparathyroidism with a mean lag time of 3 years (P = .005). Ten non-index cases died because of a MEN1-related cause that developed during or before the lag time., Conclusion: There is a clinically relevant delay in MEN1 diagnosis in families because of a lag time between the diagnosis of an index case and the rest of the family. More emphasis should be placed on the conduct of proper counseling and genetic testing in all eligible family members.

Context: An association between ABO blood type and the development of cancer, in particular, pancreatic cancer, has been reported in the literature. An association between blood type O and neuroendocrine tumors in multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) patients was recently suggested. Therefore, blood type O was proposed as an additional factor to personalize screening criteria for neuroendocrine tumors in MEN1 patients., Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the association between blood type O and the occurrence of neuroendocrine tumors in the national Dutch MEN1 cohort., Design: This is a cohort study using the Dutch National MEN1 database, which includes more than 90% of the Dutch MEN1 population. Demographic and clinical data were analyzed by blood type. Chi-square tests and Fisher exact tests were used to determine the association between blood type O and occurrence of neuroendocrine tumors. A cumulative incidence analysis (Gray's test) was performed to assess the equality of cumulative incidence of neuroendocrine tumors in blood type groups, taking death into account as a competing risk., Results: The ABO blood type of 200 of 322 MEN1 patients was known. Demographic and clinical characteristics were similar among blood type O and non-O type cohorts. The occurrence of neuroendocrine tumors of the lung, thymus, pancreas, and gastrointestinal tract was equally distributed across the blood type O and non-O type cohorts (Grays's test for equality; P = 0.72). Furthermore, we found no association between blood type O and the occurrence of metastatic disease or survival., Conclusions: An association between blood type O and the occurrence of neuroendocrine tumors in MEN1 patients was not confirmed. For this reason, the addition of the blood type to screening and surveillance practice seems not to be of additional value for identifying MEN1 patients at risk for the development of neuroendocrine tumors, metastatic disease, or a shortened survival.