The genetics of multiple endocrine neoplasia syndromes.

The familial nature of multiple endocrine neoplasia syndromes (FMEN) has been recognized for some time but little is known about their cause. Recent application of new molecular techniques has mapped FMEN syndromes to specific chromosomes and provided evidence for the mechanism through which neoplasia occurs. In this review, we describe the techniques that led to recent advances in our understanding of FMEN and we discuss the evidence supporting proposed molecular mechanisms of neoplasia.